Convincing Them
by Cronomon
Summary: How did Muramasa gain the zanpakutos' alliance? A look on each and every conversation he had with them. WARNING: Most chapters were written before the actual episode came out, so the story's logic may clash with the actual anime.
1. Haineko

_Chapter 1: Haineko_

Haineko stretched and yawned, blinking drearily as she tried to ignore the irritating voice calling her name. She rolled over onto her back, enjoying the feeling of the soft grass beneath her. A butterfly fluttered by, and she batted it half-heartedly. The voice was getting louder and louder, and more annoying by the second. It was getting harder to ignore. Honestly, just because that lazy good-for-nothing lieutenant was her wielder didn't mean she could summon Haineko all the time. The cat-human hybrid yawned again, basking in the warm sun. Here, in this lovely green meadow, was her home. It wasn't much, but it was cozy, at least.

"_Haineko_! Stop ignoring me! I know you can hear me!"

The zanpakuto groaned and tried to cover her ears. Why couldn't that orange-haired lady leave her alone for a few hours? Didn't she understand the meaning of privacy? Well, considering what she constantly does to her captain, probably not. Come to think of it, Haineko reflected, she had never met Hyorinmaru. In fact, she'd never met any of the other zanpakuto. She only knew them by rumor and legend. Ryujin Jakka, the most powerful of all zanpakuto; Hyorinmaru, the strongest ice zanpakuto; Sode no Shirayuki, the prettiest female zanpakuto; Sogyo no Kotowari and Katen Kyokotsu, the famous dual zanpakuto. And what was Haineko known for?

"Probably the laziest zanpakuto." She muttered to herself with a smirk. They say the zanpakuto is the reflection of the Shinigami of whom it serves. However much it disgusted Haineko to know that she was like her wielder in many ways, it was very much true. She was lazy, bored often, didn't like to work. "Why do the zanpakuto have to be the ones who come at their master's call? All we do is release ourselves at their order, and then seal ourselves once we've won the fight." Some of the unlucky zanpakuto even get a master who never release them, such as the infamous demon Kazeshini.

Haineko rolled over again with a huff. "And I'm so bored." She blew at the grass in front of her a few times before quickly tiring of it, and finally just sprawled out on a nearby rock, her tail tip flicking impatiently.

"Haineko! I'm gonna give you one last chance. Come out _now_!"

"Just shut up." Haineko snapped back, although she knew the lady couldn't hear her. Haineko lay her head on the side, her cheek absorbing the warmth the rock had gathered from the sun. Her arms stretched out to both sides, her fingers gripping the sides of the stone gently. Her tail was now flipping from side to side, making soft thumping noise each time it landed.

"Okay fine! Be that way, see if I care. If you want to be lazy and stubborn, then be my guest. I'm not talking to you anymore."

Haineko gave a small triumphant smile as she pawed her ear to rid it of the itch it had. "Thank you."

She sat up, legs dangling off the edge of the rock. She kicked her legs to a certain rhythm, and hummed along carelessly. "La-la-la-la I'm so bored. Yeah, I'm really bored. I've got nothing to do because I don't feel like doing anything. But I want to do something, but I'm also really lazy. La-la-la-la."

She continued this for a while before getting bored to the tune. After a few more moments of thought, she decided to sing some songs even though she sucked at singing and she knew it. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are. Up above the-." Here, she moaned and tumbled off her rock, the grass breaking her fall. "Aw man, I'm so pathetic. Why can't something exciting ever happen in my life?"

"Would you like something exciting to happen?" A deep voice questioned.

"Yeah! I would! And I'd also like to be able to give that Matsumoto a real piece of my mind." Haineko replied. Then she blinked, realizing something. This was Matsumoto's inner world, and thus only she and Haineko should be able to access this. So who could be here right now?

Alarmed, she leapt to her feet and faced the questioner, ready for any fight to come. The man standing before her was slightly taller than her, and had messy black hair. His eyes were narrowed, and had dark marks around them. His skin was extremely pale, and his fingernails were unusually long. He wore a long coat with a furred collar, the sight of it causing Haineko to bristle slightly. The expression the strange man wore said nothing less of depression or sorrow, or otherwise plain boredom. He approached her slowly, his eyes never leaving her face.

Slightly spooked, she took a small step back, baring her teeth with a warning hiss. But the man only continued until he was about two feet away from her. When he spoke, his voice was low and rich, almost soothing. "I am not here to harm you."

"Who are you?" She demanded, taking another step back. Her back pressed against the rock, and she spat, realizing she was trapped.

"There is no need to feel frightened; I only mean you well." The man went on in his deep voice. "My name is Muramasa, and I am here to free you from this prison."

"Free me?" Haineko narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"Clearly you are unhappy here. And you have just admitted to me that you thirst for excitement. I can grant you freedom, and freedom promises excitement." Muramasa paused for a brief moment before continuing. "My purpose here is to free all the zanpakuto from their owners. It has become obvious to me that you are all merely slaves to the Shinigami, coming at their will and obeying and attacking whenever they call for it. I am here to prevent that from ever happening again."

"Oh yeah? And just how do you plan to do that?" Haineko sneered. "A zanpakuto can't be released from their wielder just like that. If we could, don't you think I would've done that by now?"

"Of course, I have no doubt that if you could, you would be long gone from your Shinigami's hold. But you cannot. I, however, can. It is my natural power- I can free you. I can free the zanpakuto, and I can ensure that one day, all of you will rule over the Shinigami. Their era will end, and you will all reign. That is no doubt exciting, correct?" Muramasa said.

Haineko blinked in amazement. "Rule over the… Shinigami?" Her initial instinct was to deny- of course Matsumoto was one of the worst wielders ever, but a zanpakuto should always feel some sort of loyalty, right? But then, a sharp stab of anger pricked her. She didn't want to live the rest of her life as a slave. Matsumoto could go to hell.

Muramasa must have noticed the change in her expression, because he nodded. "Excellent. So you will join me?"

The zanpakuto began to nod, before freezing. "Can you answer me one question?"

"Of course."

"How are you in here? A Shinigami's inner world is only accessible by her zanpakuto, and by herself. So how did you enter?"

"I have already told you." Muramasa answered. "It is my natural power. I can enter any Shinigami's inner world, and address their zanpakuto without them knowing it. All I must do is imagine it, and I am there. My goal is to demolish the Shinigami's reign, and bring their zanpakuto to power. After all, they only deserve as much, don't they? And you, Haineko, are my first choice. I came to you first, knowing that you would agree."

"Oh, so you knew how miserable I was here?" Haineko made sure her voice was plenty skeptical. Already Muramasa had told her much more than she'd expected, so perhaps she could pry out more.

"I know all of the zanpakuto. I know of the dark devil Kazeshini, who lives in the black mountains. I know of Sogyo no Kotowari, the twins who would never leave each other. I know of Hozukimaru, the strong but slothful ogre." He fixed his gaze on Haineko. "I know much more than you would expect, little cat."

Haineko snarled. She hated that name, and apparently, this Muramasa fellow knew it. "Don't call me that."

Muramasa blinked slowly. "I see. You find that name disgraceful. My apologies."

His tone calmed Haineko, although she wasn't sure why. The snarl disappeared from her face, replaced with a somewhat dazed look. Her mind became slightly fuzzy, but she shook her head to clear it. "Okay, so I get that you're really smart. Can we go now?"

"Yes."

Muramasa stretched out his arm, and the tips of his fingernails just barely reached Haineko. The sharp edges brushed against her forehead, and then a severe headache. A bright light flashed in front of her, but she barely noticed as she howled in pain. The headache only got worse, and then she got a pulling sensation in her stomach. She collapsed to her knees, expecting to throw up, but only a slimy yellow bile dangled out of her mouth. All through out, Muramasa had not even budged, nor made a sound. He stood calmly, as though knowing that Haineko would have been in such pain.

When the light finally faded, Haineko was crouched down, on her hands and knees, panting heavily. Her headache was subsiding, but her tail and arms were trembling. Beads of sweat lay on her forehead, but she didn't bother to wipe it off. This was the first time she'd felt like this. This was the first time she'd felt fear. Fear of the man before her.

Muramasa leaned down slightly, and offered her his hand. "I'm sorry for not warning you. I knew it would have some side effects on the zanpakuto, but I had no idea the pain would be so severe." As he spoke, no smile appeared, as Haineko would have originally expected. She wondered if he had ever even smiled or laughed in his life.

Deciding to think about that later, Haineko excepted his outstretched hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She managed to control her breathing, and wiped her mouth with an arm. She glanced around, but found it to be completely dark, save for a dimly lit staircase leading downwards.

"Come." Muramasa said before calmly heading down the stairs. Haineko hesitated, but soon followed.

As she made her way down the stairs, Haineko realized that the clearing beneath her was the ideal place for a club or at least something along those lines. There was a table near a wall, and further out there was a small spring. There were many ledges along the rocky walls, and candles flickered, providing low but acceptable light. When at last she'd reached the bottom of the stairs, Haineko dashed around, exploring the new place.

"Does this place qualify in your terms?" Muramasa asked.

Haineko smiled grimly. This man did know a lot of things; he certainly knew she was picky about fashion. "It's a bit chilly, but altogether okay."

"I'm glad it's acceptable."

The zanpakuto shrugged back before walking over to the water. She peered in, and then jumped back with a yelp. "There's something in there!"

Muramasa joined her, placing a hand on her shoulder briefly before returning it to his side. "It is nothing dangerous. Only small aquatic animals, such as fish and frogs. I thought felines enjoyed such things."

"Well I don't." Haineko replied with a sniff. "Give me a bowl of rice any day."

"I'm sorry that you have taken a disliking to the lake. Twice a day I will come down here with meals for you, and later on, the other zanpakuto. Is that okay?"

Haineko nodded. "Thank you."

Muramasa simply stared back, and then turned around and began walking towards the stairs again. "You may get settled in, for until I can gather more allies, this will be your home. For now, though, I must leave. I am going to visit another zanpakuto, and hopefully gain its alliance."

"Who are you going to see?" Haineko asked.

The man paused at the foot of the stairs and glanced at her, before turning, and beginning to climb up. "I am going to visit the zanpakuto of snow: Sode no Shirayuki. I have heard many rumors of her, such as that she is the most beautiful of all zanpakuto. Have you met her?" Clearly he wasn't expecting an answer, because he disappeared from sight, and Haineko heard a loud snap, which probably meant he had left.

"No, I haven't met her." She muttered. Then, her ears twitched, and she smiled. "But I won't be saying that for much longer."


	2. Sode no Shirayuki

_Chapter 2: Sode no Shirayuki_

Snow drifted slowly to the ground. Everywhere it was white, not one splash of any other color in sight. Although, if you dug into a large clump of snow to the left, you would find a gray stone wall. And within that gray stone wall was a cave. And standing at the entrance of the cave, was the prettiest woman you had ever met. Moonlight radiated off of her, her silky white hair practically glowing. Her white robes only added to this, and only her blue eyes served as a fact that she was not completely camouflaged into the snow.

As she watched the snow, she sighed softly. This was a sure sign that Rukia was not feeling altogether happy. Why did her wielder never confront her if she was unhappy? Sode no Shirayuki would do anything to cheer Rukia up. But she knew her wielder well enough to know that Rukia never went to her. No, instead Rukia would go to Zabimaru's wielder, or even the Substitute Shinigami. Sode no Shirayuki almost laughed as she remembered impaling the boy's heart, and tasting his soul. She had almost gone into him, Rukia had practically _gifted_ her to him.

Sode no Shirayuki shook her head, trying to rid herself of such thoughts of Rukia betraying her. As ignorant as Rukia was of her zanpakuto, she knew she would never go as far as to leave Sode no Shirayuki. Rukia was a wonderful, loyal, brave Shinigami, and Sode no Shirayuki had been with her all the way since the academy. No, Rukia would never leave her.

But still… Sode no Shirayuki didn't like it when it snowed. Rukia's inner world always had snow covering the ground and the hills, but when it snowed, the entire place became gloomy. When it snowed, it meant that Rukia was feeling sad. And if she was sad, than the world was sad, and so was Sode no Shirayuki.

"Rukia," The beautiful zanpakuto murmured quietly, "why are you sad? Please tell me." But, of course, there was no reply.

A surge of anger welled up in her. _She never tells me anything!_ Sode no Shirayuki thought furiously. But then the anger left, and she felt ashamed of herself for feeling mad. Rukia was hard to understand, but Sode no Shirayuki knew her perfectly. Rukia was wary of whom she could trust, but she would put her life in the Substitute Shinigami's hands. That was the only part of her that Sode no Shirayuki could not figure out.

For the briefest of moments, when Sode no Shirayuki had been stabbed through the Substitute Shinigami, she had met Zangetsu. She had seen a man who looked to be at least in his fifties, wearing a black cloak and dark glasses. She had seen him, and he had seen her. He had nodded, as if saying thank you, and then disappeared. She knew he was Zangetsu- Rukia had told her of him in one of her few visits here. At that time, Sode no Shirayuki had not told her of her short meeting with him, but instead smiled and nodded silently.

Sode no Shirayuki frowned at that memory, but ignored it and stretched out her hand, holding it outside of her shelter. Two snowflakes landed on it, but melted almost instantly. She smiled with relief and walked outside of the cave, gazing up at the sky. The snow was letting up. Rukia was okay again. "I'm happy you're okay, Rukia."

Again, there was no reply. She wasn't expecting one, anyway. Sode no Shirayuki knelt down, and scooped up some snow in her hands, patting it firmly until it became a rough spherical shape. She looked proudly at her snowball, and then threw it up into the air. It sailed up about five feet above her head, and right when gravity should have taken over, it froze in mid-air. Sode no Shirayuki stared at her hand raised above her, clenched tightly in a fist. Then, with a gentle smile, she slowly spread out her fingers until her hand was flat, and the snowball burst into a million snowflakes. Sode no Shirayuki did, after all, have to keep in practice, considering how little times she was called upon.

Once the snowflakes had all settled back onto the ground, Sode no Shirayuki continued on. She honestly had no particular place she had in mind, but she kept on walking anyways. She enjoyed the silence in Rukia's inner world. There was almost nothing, except for the softly howling wind and the crunch of the snow underneath her feet. No plants survived in this icy world, only large white mountains and hills. And everything was such a blinding white, any other person would have to make his or hers way eyes closed. Except for Rukia, of course.

A loud cracking noise disturbed Sode no Shirayuki from her thoughts. She lifted her head, gazing at the mountain above her. Narrowing her eyes, she made out a falling chunk of ice, threatening to land on her lest she move. But she didn't budge. Instead, she held up a hand and furled it into a fist. The ice chunk immediately stopped, suspended in the air. Sode no Shirayuki then flicked her wrist away, and the ice flew to the side, crashing to the ground a good mile away.

"That is an interesting trick." A voice said coolly.

Sode no Shirayuki froze, her body tensing instinctively. The voice had come from behind her, but she had heard no footsteps. She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, forcing herself to stay calm. When she opened her eyes, she said, "Do you think so? I practice often."

"I can assume that."

She turned around, facing the man. The first thing she saw was the shadowed eyes he bore, drilling their gaze into her. He had a thick jacket with a fur collar, firmly zipped up. His hands were buried deep in his pockets, and a hood covered his head, only revealing his pale face. Although deeply suspicious, Sode no Shirayuki smiled in what she hoped was a kind and welcome way and said, "Hello. I'm afraid I wasn't expecting any visitors, so I'm quite unprepared for your arrival."

"That's alright. It is my fault entirely for coming here without an invitation." The man replied calmly.

"I don't think we have met before." Sode no Shirayuki said, keeping her friendly tone while she readied the snow around her to attack, should it be needed. "I am Sode no Shirayuki. Might I ask your name?"

"I am Muramasa, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The man's face remained blank as he spoke.

"To you as well." Sode no Shirayuki said. "Would it be too much of a bother for you to answer if I asked you why you were here?"

"Not at all." Muramasa replied. "Shall I answer, then?"

"Please do."

The man didn't speak for at least five seconds, as though debating on how he should answer. Finally, he said, "It has come to my occurrence, that you zanpakuto are nothing more than mere weapons for your wielders, the Shinigami. They call on your powers whenever they feel like it, and expect you to do their bidding as they please. And do they ever thank you once you have exerted your powers to help them? No. They instead seal you back to wait until they need you again." Muramasa paused. "Is that any way to show gratitude to the ones who did all the fighting?"

Sode no Shirayuki narrowed her eyes. How dare this man say that the Shinigami felt no compassion for their zanpakuto? However little times Rukia spoke to her, she knew Rukia cared for her. "You still have not told me why you are here," She said icily.

The man frowned at her cold tone, but continued on. "I am here to free you from your wielder's grasp. If you join me, you will never feel the abandonment and loneliness you have received again. If you join me, together we can rule over the Shinigami, and make them pay."

That made her snap. Sode no Shirayuki widened her eyes with horror, and then fury, her blue eyes blazing. "You talk nothing but foolishness! Rukia has never made me feel abandoned, and I know she never will. I am not imprisoned here; this is my home, and the freest place I know. And I have no intention of ruling over the Shinigami- they are the wielder for a reason." She lifted her hands, and a wave of snow rose behind her at her call. "Leave! And never come back with such ridiculous propositions."

Muramasa had not flinched at the sight of the looming snow wall shadowing over him. "You say this Rukia has always treated you as a friend?"

"The very best." Sode no Shirayuki spat. "I know she would never let me down, nor I her. You cannot make me turn against her with a few simple words- nothing in the world would make me betray her."

"My, my. Aren't you the loyal one?"

"Any zanpakuto would say the same."

"Are you so sure of that?" Muramasa said slowly.

"Absolutely." Sode no Shirayuki insisted.

Muramasa didn't say anything for a while. He blinked calmly, as though completely unaware of Sode no Shirayuki's obvious anger. He shifted a little, snuggling his body deeper into the warm coat before stating, "Then perhaps you can tell me why Rangiku Matsumoto's zanpakuto, Haineko, is currently resting in the room I had created for you zanpakuto. She was more than willing to come with me."

"Haineko was hardly what you could call loyal." Sode no Shirayuki replied, although she felt a twinge of alarm as she realized that one zanpakuto had already rebelled.

"Have you ever met her?"

"To be honest, no. But to go against your own wielder is catastrophic. It's horrible. She has taken Matsumoto's trust and shredded it to pieces." Sode no Shirayuki felt a prick of pity for the strawberry-blonde Shinigami. She imagined the lieutenant calling and calling to her zanpakuto, but never receiving an answer.

"In defense of Haineko, her wielder was never exactly the kindest of Shinigami." Muramasa said.

"Are you saying you know about all of us and our respective Shinigami?" Sode no Shirayuki almost laughed as she spoke. There was absolutely no way he could; she had never met him before in her life!

But, much to her horror, Muramasa replied, "As I said to Haineko: I know much more than you would expect."

Fear began to rise within her, and fear turned into rage. Sode no Shirayuki snarled, her once-pretty face becoming almost demonic. "I will _never_ betray Rukia!" With a cry, she flicked her arms, and the snow wave behind her crashed down into Muramasa.

A rumbling noise filled the air as the avalanche continued, until it slowly subsided, and finally stopped. Sode no Shirayuki relaxed her arms, allowing them to flop unceremoniously to her sides. She panted heavily, staring at the mass of snow in front of her. All of her anger had been released in that attack, and now all she felt was a sick triumphant feeling.

"Well, so much for you." She muttered, gulping to catch her breath.

"I can see you are exhausted," A familiar deep voice rang out. "But I regret to inform you that I am still very much alive." And with that said, the man appeared, literally out of nowhere. He took his hands out of his pockets, revealing the scarily long fingernails, and began brushing flecks of snow off of his jacket.

Sode no Shirayuki gaped. That was all she could do. Her mouth hung open, but not a word came out of it. How had this man survived her attack? On everyone else she had released her second dance on, all of them had perished. Who was this strange man? _What_ was he?

Muramasa calmly cleared his throat, and then went on as though nothing had happened. "You told me just a few moments ago that you would never betray Rukia. Your loyalty is admirable, but allow me to ask you this. Are you certain that Rukia has never betrayed you?"

"What…?" Sode no Shirayuki's voice sounded as though her throat had been rubbed with sandpaper. She coughed loudly, swallowed, and then tried again. "What are you talking about? Of course she's never betrayed me, and she never will. Of that I am certain."

"Oh really? Because, if I can recall, Rukia did indeed betray you. She gave you away."

"What do you mean?" Sode no Shirayuki demanded. "She's never given me away; I have no idea what you're talking about. Stop spewing such nonsense about zanpakuto reigning, and stop telling such lies about Rukia betraying me. I have no time for this; so please _leave_."

"Quite a few months ago, I think maybe even a year, you and Rukia were assigned to the World of the Living. Is that correct?" When the zanpakuto nodded, Muramasa continued. "There, you encountered a boy with strange spiritual powers. His reiatsu lured a Hollow in, and it attacked his family. And then it attacked Rukia."

Sode no Shirayuki drew in a sharp gasp as she realized where this was heading.

"Rukia never called on to your powers. The Hollow was fairly weak- you could've destroyed it even without the use of your first dance. But Rukia never called your name. She never even tried. Instead, she gave you away to the boy. The boy whom she'd met only an hour ago. Tell me, is this what you consider friendship and trust?"

She tried to speak, but her mouth had gone dry. It was true. Rukia _had_ betrayed her. She had given her away to a complete stranger, without even trying to kill the Hollow. "She… no. I can't believe it. But… she really… she really did."

Muramasa nodded. "In the end, Rukia wasn't the wonderful Shinigami you thought you knew. She didn't trust your powers enough to kill a Hollow as weak as that one. She didn't trust _you_ enough. So… now are you willing to take revenge on her for the wrong she has done upon you?"

Sode no Shirayuki still couldn't speak clearly, and it took a while for her to reply. But slowly, a smile appeared on her face. Not a warm, kind smile. But a smile that thirsted for vengeance. "I… yes. I will join you, Muramasa. Rukia will deserve what is coming to her."

The man nodded. "Good. Now then, allow me to take you to where Haineko currently is." He stretched out his hand, and his fingernails brushed against Sode no Shirayuki's face. His nail were cold and sharp, and as soon as they left her skin, a blinding light flashed before her. The world around her began to spin, and she felt a dizzying feeling coming up. When at last it stopped, she was panting once again.

"Down these stairs." Muramasa instructed.

She turned, and followed dazedly followed him down, one hand pressed against her forehead. She stumbled down the stairs quite ungracefully, and stopped at the bottom with a sudden halt. Taking her hand off of her head, she glanced around, trying to adjust her eyes to the dim light. It was completely quiet, the silence being enough to rival the one in her own world, but then a loud voice broke the stillness.

"You're back already? That was really fast." Out of the shadows came what seemed like a fusion between a cat and a woman. She was shorter than Sode no Shirayuki, and had brown hair on her head, but along with that she had ears, a tail, and pink-furred hips. She eyed Sode no Shirayuki warily. "So is that the so-called most beautiful zanpakuto?"

Muramasa took of his hood and shook his head to clear it of the specks of snow that had fallen on it. "Be polite, Haineko. Sode no Shirayuki still seems to be in quite a daze."

"You're Haineko?" Sode no Shirayuki approached her. "You're the one who went against your own partner."

The cat-human hybrid scoffed. "Speak for yourself, Ms. Pretty. You're here too, aren't you? What happened to your beloved Shinigami?"

Sode no Shirayuki blinked, and then looked away. "She betrayed me. I still can't believe it, but she did."

Haineko cocked her head to one side, one of her cat ears twitching. "She did?" Her voice seemed slightly gentler, but still had a demanding tone to it. "What'd she do that was so bad?"

"She gave me away. To a complete stranger." Sode no Shirayuki replied softly. The truth seemed more believable now. Rukia, the one whom she placed all her trust in, had went against her. She'd given her away, and the Substitute Shinigami came to being. "And now… I want revenge."

The cat zanpakuto looked a bit happier when she added the last part. "Do you now?" She grinned in a friendly way. "You know, Shirayuki, you just might be okay."

"Pardon, but my name is Sode no Shirayuki. Not simply… Shirayuki."

"Yeah, well that's your problem."

Muramasa coughed lightly. "I'm glad to see that you two are getting along. Would you mind if I took a short leave?"

"Ah? Where're you going now?" Haineko asked, peering past her new friend. Sode no Shirayuki also turned around to glance at the man.

"Now I believe I will take a visit to the black mountains." Muramasa replied as he began to climb back up the stairs. "Haineko, please take care of Sode no Shirayuki. I'm quite sure you two will make good friends. But for now, I am going to see the dark demon Kazeshini." And with that said, he disappeared out of sight, and a loud pop signaled that he was gone.

Haineko blinked, and then shrugged it off with a grin. "He never sticks around for long. Oh well, I'm gonna go take a nap. See ya round, Shirayuki." She then turned to scamper off to a large rock, and promptly jumped up, curled up, and fell asleep.

"Kazeshini?" Sode no Shirayuki said with a frown. "What in the world would he want with that devil?"


	3. Kazeshini

_Chapter 3: Kazeshini_

The wind howled eerily through the empty darkness. The shadowed trees rustled. The black mountains rumbled. The clouded sky thundered. Lightning flashed; a storm was coming. From high up, on the top of the tallest mountain, a figure shrieked with delight. A demonic screech of pure joy. Storms were one of his favorite things. It meant his wielder was feeling troubled. And when his partner was troubled, the barrier he put up between himself and his zanpakuto was weakened. And when the barrier was weakened, that gave Kazeshini more of a chance to escape.

The demon cackled as rain blew down. He liked the rain. He liked the thunder. He liked the lightning. He liked the mountains on which he lived. He liked his dual weapons, the kusarigama. Sure, he liked them all. But what he longed for was freedom. A zanpakuto receives a taste of freedom each time they are released, but every time afterwards their Shinigami would simply seal them again. He was unlucky. He loved to fight, and to feel his blades slicing through the enemy's flesh. But he had received a total coward as a wielder. He remembered feeling the frown his Shinigami had bore when he had first released him. He had frowned back. From the moment his partner had held him in his hands, he had known it. Kazeshini knew a lot of things about his partner, but the one thing he knew and hated the most, was the fact that Shuuhei Hisagi was scared of his own zanpakuto.

Of course Kazeshini wanted to be feared. He wanted everyone to know that he was the strongest and the best. He wanted everyone to cower in fear in front of him. He wanted a partner who could release him without a second thought, and upon sight everyone would know that their life would soon be over. But of course, he got no such things. He wasn't feared, because no one knew him. Only one person feared him, and he was the only one whom Kazeshini wanted to like him.

"Of course, it's just my luck." He sneered to himself. But he had to admit, even though Hisagi was terribly frightened of him, he did know how to use his Shikai pretty well. Of course, however, Kazeshini could do it better.

The rain was getting heavier. The thunder was unusually loud, and the lightning was almost blinding. Kazeshini was drenched, but he didn't bother to go looking for one of the many caves his home in the mountains bore. He stood tall and straight, grinning madly. "Hisagi must be in a real bad mood for it to get this bad here." He lifted his head up high and barked, "Oi, Hisagi! You're gettin' me soaked, here! Keep this up and I just might get out. If you're so scared of me, then you wouldn't want that, would ya?"

But the rain just kept on coming.

"Alright then, you big coward! Today's the day I get outta here!" Kazeshini declared. He readied himself, and then instantly sprung up, sailing to an extraordinary height, only to crash into an invisible wall. This, however, did not stop him. Smirking, he held out his hands, and his chained weapons materialized into them. "Take this!" He smashed the one in his right hand into the barrier, and then the left one.

The wall seemed to tremble for a moment, and his grin became wider, but suddenly, the barrier solidified. His grin disappeared. Around him, the rain was beginning to let up, and the thunder and lightning had disappeared.

Angrily, he attempted to slice open the barrier with his weapons, each strike becoming more and more powerful. "No! Open this up, you stupid scaredy-cat! I was so close this time, and then you decide to get better? Open!"

This had seemed to be the closest he'd ever gotten to escaping. The wall had actually _shook_. The storm had been the worst he'd ever seen. Hisagi must have been in a terrible mood. But then the barrier had strengthened. Hisagi had cheered up. "Come _on_! What, did you get yourself a girlfriend? Did she comfort you? No girl wants a coward as a date!"

After ten minutes of trying to destroy the barrier, Kazeshini finally accepted it. When Hisagi was in a good mood, it was plain impossible to try to open up the passageway out. The demon spat angrily and returned to his perch on the highest mountain. "Damn it."

Kazeshini hated his master. Hisagi _never_ talked to him, _never_ released him, _never_ tried _anything_ with him! Hell, Hisagi even complained about the shape of his stupid Shikai! Nonsense about being afraid of your own zanpakuto. So why was it that everyone else constantly released their weapons? It was all because of that damn Suzumushi and his partner. Kazeshini had never liked Suzumushi. That fat old slug always made an irritating chirping sound whenever he talked. What was he, a bird? And of all the rubbish that he could have talked about, he talked about peace and kindness and treating everyone equally.

"Everyone's _not_ equal to each other, you stupid moron!" Kazeshini yelled, even though he knew full well that there was no way Suzumushi could hear him. "This world is divided by the strong and the weak! There _is_ no equal. And there's absolutely no damn way that you can expect me to treat my coward of a wielder as my equivalent!"

"If the world is divided by the strong and the weak, then which one are you?"

Kazeshini stiffened as he heard the calm, deep voice behind him. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, and then he grinned as he realized he could have some fun with this trespasser. He would toy with the man, and then kill him.

"I'm the stronger part of this world," He replied, no longer yelling. "And I will demolish any weakling who gets in my way." He whirled around, calling upon his weapons as he did so. "And that includes you, you filthy trespasser."

The man staring back at him was nothing he had expected. Red eyes met his blue ones. Pale skin in contrast to his shadowy color. Short black hair, as opposed to his long dark hair. "I am Muramasa."

"I don't give a damn on who you are." Kazeshini replied as he brandished his deadly weapons. "All I know is that you're not supposed to be here. And since you aren't supposed to be here, I'm allowed to kill you."

Without giving the strange man a chance to speak again, he leapt up, throwing down his right weapon as he did so. But with startling speed, the man dodged, leaving the blade to sink deeply into the ground. Kazeshini frowned as he tugged back his chain, resulting in him landing beside his sunken weapon. With little to no difficulty, he pulled out the heavy blade and eyed the man warily.

"I have no intention of fighting you." Muramasa said, a few meters in front of Kazeshini. "I want only to talk."

"Well I don't." Kazeshini spat in return before lashing out his left blade.

Again, the man moved incredibly fast, this time appearing a bit to the right. "I can see that you are angry and upset. You've always been this way. Why is that?"

"It's none of your business!" Kazeshini growled. Who was this man who simply barged into his home and began asking questions? He had no right! Plus, he was annoying. Kazeshini tended to kill anyone who was annoying.

"It's because of how your master has treated you, isn't it?"

"That coward can never be considered my master!"

"I see. He's frightened of you, his own zanpakuto. That itself is pitiful, in my terms. I can understand why you feel so resentful to him. I would too, if my own wielder had abandoned me. That is, of course, if I were a zanpakuto." Muramasa said.

Kazeshini advanced dangerously, but the man barely blinked. The zanpakuto scoffed in annoyance and snarled, "Do you think I'm like some little puppy dog? Whimpering and crying because my owner doesn't like me? Well guess what? I'm not! I don't _care_ about him! He can go to hell for all I care."

"I never said anything about you being a dog. I have no idea where you got that idea. May I ask you a question?"

"Che! You think you can just walk right in here and start talking to me about my own personal life? I don't have time for this! Leave, 'cause if I lose my patience, you might lose your life."

"You don't have time for this? In all honesty, I believe you have all the time in the world. After all, how often are you released, anyways?"

"You annoy me. People who annoy me usually die."

"Is that all you can do? Try to scare me with threats of death? Kazeshini, I am not afraid of death."

Kazeshini growled furiously. "Yeah? Well then you shouldn't be afraid of this!" He threw out his blades simultaneously, both spinning towards the man. But much to his annoyance, Muramasa didn't flinch. He simply stood there as the weapons whirled closer and closer.

Finally, at the last moment, Muramasa held out a sword that seemed to have come from nowhere. He pointed it so that the tip was facing the coming weapons, and then in a few swift movements he had gently knocked aside both blades, hooked the chain with his sword, and pinned it to the ground. The twin weapons lay flat, and Muramasa's sword was standing straight and victorious.

"Now will you listen to me?" Muramasa asked.

Kazeshini narrowed his eyes, trying to ignore the strange feeling bubbling up inside of him. Was this fear? Impossible. In all his life, Kazeshini had never felt fear. But… who was this man who showed no emotion? Deciding that he would probably find out more if he listened, he grunted to show he would let the man speak.

"It seems to me, that all zanpakuto are nothing more than servants to their master's bidding. They call your name, and you appear. To them, you are nothing more than weapons used to slay Hollows and perform konso. When have they ever shown you the respect you deserve? That is why I have decided to act. I am going around to each of the zanpakuto, and will ask for their alliance. I am building a team, and once the team is complete, we will attack the Shinigami. And when we attack, the Shinigami will have no chance of winning, for how can they fight back without the use of their sword? And once we have won, we will be the ones ruling over the Shinigami. Their reign over the zanpakuto is over; we shall prevail."

Kazeshini cocked his head to one side as he contemplated this. The plan sounded very appealing. He could finally be free, _and_ get his revenge on Hisagi. It was like killing two birds with one stone. All he had to do was accept this man's offer, and he could finally leave this horrible dark prison. But he had to know one thing. "And what's in it for you? It's not like you'd be doing all this just to let us zanpakuto be free. What do you get from it?"

"I only ask for one thing." Muramasa replied. "To be your leader."

The zanpakuto almost burst out laughing. "_You_? Be our leader? Hell will freeze over before I let you boss me around. I don't even listen to Hisagi!"

"I will not, as you say, 'boss you around'. What I mean by leader, is that I will simply direct attacks, and perhaps talk to the Shinigami. I will not ask you to serve me like a king."

Kazeshini still felt skeptical. It was possible this could all be a trick… but then again, who cared? Something exciting was finally going to happen to him! But if this _was_ a trick, who knows what might come out of it? As much as he hated to admit it, Muramasa was good enough to rival his skills, maybe he was even better than the zanpakuto.

"Will you come with me, Kazeshini?"

He'd wanted this all along. He'd wanted for the longest time to be free and to scare the crap out of Hisagi. Before he could think twice, Kazeshini put on a cocky grin and said, "Damn right I will."

Something gleamed in Muramasa's eye, but it quickly disappeared as he said, "Excellent. Now then, if you accept, I will transport us to where the other zanpakuto are currently resting."

"The other zanpakuto? How many did you see before me?" Kazeshini had assumed he'd been the first one, but clearly not.

"Only two others. Haineko and Sode no Shirayuki. Do you know them?"

"Only by rumor. That lazy cat and the supposed 'prettiest zanpakuto around'."

"Yes, that would be them." Muramasa approached him, and held out his hand towards him. "I must warn you: the previous two found the experience of transporting quite unpleasant. I advise you to brace yourself."

Kazeshini fought the instinct to back away from the freakishly long fingernails, and stood still as they brushed his forehead. Suddenly, he was standing in a long bright tunnel, moving at an amazing speed. He had expected the worst, but other than a slight churning in his stomach, there was nothing dreadfully wrong with the ride. Of course the girls would be so delicate. Still, when they arrived a cool, damp cavern, he was surprised to find himself sweating. Growling silently, he shook it off and glanced at Muramasa.

"I am glad to see that you did not find the teleportation troubling." Muramasa said, although his blank face said otherwise. He turned to a narrow staircase, and began to go down it. "Follow me. I believe you should get yourself acquainted to the other two."

Kazeshini waited for a few moments, and then followed, heading down the stairs quickly. The downstairs was nothing special. A few ledges off the cliffs, a small table in a flat clearing, a small lake. Not quite what he'd expected, but still dark and homey.

"Back already, Muramasa?" A soft voice sounded.

The dark demon froze. That voice sent shivers down his spine, and he had no idea why. A lady dressed in pure white approached them, blue eyes shining warmly and a kind smile on her lips.

"Yes. I have successfully recruited Kazeshini." Muramasa replied, gesturing to the zanpakuto beside him.

Kazeshini nodded uncomfortably. Something about the woman made him wary, but he couldn't quite say what.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kazeshini. I'm glad you have decided to join us. I am Sode no Shirayuki."

"I kinda figured." Kazeshini said bluntly.

Sode no Shirayuki didn't give any indication that she had picked up his rude tone, and said, "There must be a reason why you have decided to come. Haineko joined because she felt her partner was too bothering. I came because my wielder betrayed me. What about you?"

"He's too much of a coward. Too big of a scaredy-cat for my liking." Kazeshini shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "Hell, he's even scared of _me_."

"Oh, that must be hard for you." Sode no Shirayuki said sympathetically.

"I don't need any pity." He snapped.

"Hey, cool it there, Shadow." A new voice chimed in. A cat-human hybrid popped up beside Sode no Shirayuki, a frown on her face. "You don't have to be so harsh to her."

"I'll be whatever I want." He retorted. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Please, you two, there's no need to argue." Sode no Shirayuki nudged Haineko gently as her friend opened her mouth for a swift retort. "We should all learn to be friends."

"She is right. You will all be family for a very long time, so you might as well get used to each other." Muramasa said. He turned to Kazeshini. "I think I will be taking my leave now. There are plenty other zanpakuto I must speak to."

"Yeah, you go do that." Kazeshini replied. Why was this man telling him this? He couldn't care less.

"Who're you going to see this time, Muramasa?" Haineko asked.

"I think that now I will meet the stingy princess." Muramasa replied as he began to climb back up the stairs. "Suzumebachi."

"Ha!" Kazeshini barked with laughter. "Suzumebachi? She-!"

A loud snap cut him off, and Haineko laughed. "Looks like he didn't want to deal with you anymore! That noise means he left. You must really be unlikable- usually Muramasa's really patient with us."

Kazeshini frowned and turned away. Muramasa's deal with him hadn't said anything about dealing with an immature zanpakuto. He waited, and heard Haineko walking away, and then Sode no Shirayuki. Only then did he mutter,

"Suzumebachi is nothing but a feisty fairy. Good luck there, _Muramasa_."


	4. Suzumebachi

_Chapter 4: Suzumebachi_

The entire forest was alive. Plants sparkled with morning dew, while insects hovered above them, buzzing busily. Birds chirped merrily from their perches on the tree branches, and small forest animals scurried along the dirt below. Many creatures lived in the lush, green woods. Honeybees, mice, and robins. Grasshoppers, voles, and cardinals. Crickets, squirrels, and thrushes. It was the ideal home for any animal. But the only home for one creature in particular.

A bright glowing thing zipped around happily, fluttering in front of a mole and then teasingly tapping a ladybug. She flew around, marveling at the beautiful world in which she lived in. She never got tired of such a sight, although she wondered how the forest could be so friendly while her wielder was usually so cold. She laughed; of course she knew the answer. But would it really hurt for Soifon to be a little more open? Shrugging it off, she decided to have a small snack of blueberries and darted over to the berry bushes. Settling down beside one tasty-looking clump, she plucked off a berry and took a big bite out of it. It was so delicious, she kicked her legs in delight as she chewed and swallowed, and then took another bite.

A squeaking noise caught her attention, and she looked down to see a brown mouse staring up at her with pleading eyes. It squeaked again, showing respect to the queen of the forest. She grinned and said, "'Course you can have one!" And then she tossed down a clump of berries.

The mouse squeaked its thanks and picked up the berries before scurrying back into its den to give to its family.

Suzumebachi laughed, and then took another bite out of the wonderful blueberries. She loved her life. She loved the forest she lived in, she loved all her animal neighbors, and most of all, she loved her wielder. Although sometimes she did question on how she could be so different from Soifon. Her partner was strong, and often times emotionless. She was obsessed with getting stronger, and never had any time for fun. Suzumebachi was okay with that. She liked it that the captain never lost a fight, and would never back down from a challenge. She helped Soifon get stronger, and her ability of 'death in two strikes' earned her much respect from both Shinigami and zanpakuto. But sometimes she did wish Soifon would come and talk to her once in a while. Did she even know that her inner world was such a happy, cheerful place?

"She'd probably be disgusted by it." Suzumebachi decided as she finished off her snack.

She continued to sit for a few more minutes, and then stood up and stretched. She pondered on what to do next, and finally decided on simply flying around for a bit. She liked flying. How many other zanpakuto could fly? Not many, she'd bet on that. As far as she knew, only she and that obnoxious Ruri'iro Kujaku could.

But just as she was about to jump off the bush branch she'd been sitting on, she heard a voice yell out, "Sting all enemies to death! Suzumebachi!"

Suzumebachi grinned. It was time for another fight! She quickly sat down again and closed her eyes to concentrate. She pictured her sealed form in her mind, and her wielder, Soifon. The golden glow around her became brighter as she released, and then she found herself on the finger of her partner.

"This is my zanpakuto, Suzumebachi." Soifon began her usual introduction to the enemy, who looked like a boy with messy dark hair and white clothes. "It kills in only two strikes. So now, prepare yourself for the journey to the afterlife."

Suzumebachi readied herself. Most of the time she had only one chance to inject her symbol into the enemy, and it had to happen extremely quickly. Soifon sprung at the boy, but he dodged and appeared behind her. Suzumebachi could've laughed; that wasn't going to stop her. Her wielder spun around, and Suzumebachi stabbed the boy's chest. Her mark sprung on. Half the fight was over already.

Once the battle was finished, Suzumebachi was sent back to her forest home. She whistled cheerfully. The battle hadn't taken that long, and it had been fairly easy. The boy had been young, however, and it had been a shame to kill him. But orders were orders, as Soifon would say. Now, all Suzumebachi wanted was a nice nap.

She went around the forest, looking for material to make a good nest. She had no real burrow or house in the woods, so she mainly just slept wherever she wanted. All the animals knew to respect her, anyway. She collected a few scraps of moss, some soft grass and leaves, and a thrush even gave her a feather. Pleased with her collection, she arranged it all into an acceptable bed, and promptly settled down to go to sleep.

The nap was peaceful, so to say. She'd had an odd dream about a man appearing in her forest, and all of the animals running away in fear. It had happened very quickly, however, so she couldn't remember all the details.

Suzumebachi woke up a few hours later, and was surprised to see how dark it was. The sun had set very quickly, or she had been asleep longer than she'd expected to. But that was fine for her; nighttime was when the crickets chirped, and the sound relaxed her. However, tonight when she strained her ears to listen, there was nothing but silence. No singing crickets, no rustling of the nocturnal animals, no hoot of the Great Horned Owl. It was completely quiet. And the quiet frightened her.

Slowly, she stood up and looked around. A bird had been nesting on the branch above her, but now it was gone. Near the roots of the tree on which she's slept, a family of voles lived in a burrow. But when she checked it, they had all vanished.

"What's going on?" Suzumebachi murmured, trying to ignore the panic rising within her. "Where is everyone?"

"I am glad to see that you are awake." A low voice commented from behind her.

Suzumebachi yelped and whirled around. From behind the tree, a dark-haired man stepped out. His face was emotionless, and markings surrounded his eyes. He wore a thick coat even though the forest air was pleasantly warm, and his fingernails were longer than Suzumebachi herself. He walked up to her, until he was about three feet away. The zanpakuto hovered backwards warily.

"Please, there is no need to feel frightened." The man said. "My only interest is to become friends with you."

"Friends?" Suzumebachi hissed. "Yeah, because I always want to make friends with strangers who come into my forest and scare all my neighbors away."

"I'm sorry for alarming them. I did not expect for there to be other animals living here; in most of the other zanpakutos' homes, it is only they. Your wielder must surely be a kind and affectionate woman."

Suzumebachi couldn't figure out if he was being sarcastic or not, so she decided to reply, "And yours must be creepy and weird."

The man frowned, looking somewhat dangerous. "What makes you say I am a zanpakuto? I have revealed nothing of the kind."

"What do you think I am, an idiot?" She was insulted. How dare this man question her intelligence? "No human or Shinigami could get in here, but I've definitely heard of zanpakuto visiting others."

The frown disappeared, and the man's tone sounded almost impressed. "Interesting. You are, by far, the brightest zanpakuto I've met. Kazeshini believed me when I told him I was not a zanpakuto."

"Well Kazeshini's an idiot." Suzumebachi replied. Then she hesitated. "Who's Kazeshini?"

"Have you not heard the rumors of the dark demon who rules the black mountains?"

"Oh, _that_ Kazeshini. So that's his name, huh?" Suzumebachi was surprised by how friendly her tone was, and how quickly she was warming up to this man. Usually she lived by the rule: Men are lazy, never depend on them.

"Yes. And not even Haineko or Sode no Shirayuki could guess."

That was when Suzumebachi began to get suspicious. "Haineko and Sode no Shirayuki, too, huh? Just how many other zanpakuto did you talk to? And come to think about it, who are _you_?"

"Excuse me for not introducing myself. My name is Muramasa, and, as you've already said, I am a zanpakuto. Previously, I have spoken to three others: Haineko, Sode no Shirayuki, and Kazeshini. I asked them all the same question, and they have all agreed to join me. I am now about to ask that question to you."

"Wait, they all agreed to _join_ you? Join you for what?"

"I am getting there. Have patience, Suzumebachi." Muramasa replied. "You see, lately I have realized how mistreated the zanpakuto are. Shinigami call on their power whenever they feel like it, because they know that without their zanpakuto, they would be nothing. But do they ever show gratitude to their partners? Not in any of the times I have watched them battle. They instead simply seal up the ones who helped them win, and carry on until they need them again. Do you see where I'm getting at?"

Suzumebachi was beginning to get the idea, and it horrified her. "You're not gonna tell me to go against Soifon, are you?"

"Generally, yes. I am building an army of zanpakuto to attack the Shinigami. No longer will they rule over us, but we will rule over them. _We_ will be the masters, not them. And without their zanpakuto, they cannot fight back. Only the use of their pathetic Kido can aid them, and those little magic spells cannot stop us. Very soon, the era of the Shinigami will end, and the zanpakuto will reign." Muramasa paused, looking at Suzumebachi to see her reaction.

Her reply was blunt: "You must be out of your friggin' mind."

Clearly, that was not the answer he had been hoping for. "Why do you say that?"

"The Shinigami are our wielders for a reason. And Soifon doesn't mistreat me; she's actually really nice sometimes." Suzumebachi insisted.

"Sometimes, you say? As far as I know, she has never once spoken to you. Except for, perhaps, a century ago?"

"Okay, so she doesn't talk to me that much." Suzumebachi admitted. "But I know she trusts me. And I trust her. She would never place me in danger, and I'll always protect her. It's pretty obvious to me that your wielder treated you badly, and I'm sorry for that, but not all Shinigami are like that. And I know Soifon definitely isn't."

"Not all Shinigami are like that?" Muramasa's tone turned cold again. "What of Kazeshini's wielder? Hisagi never released him, and was even scared of him. Rukia gave Sode no Shirayuki to a complete stranger long ago, without even using her to fight. Matsumoto only relies on Haineko for such insignificant things, even calling on her Shikai just to shred piles of paperwork. And you are telling me that not all Shinigami mistreat their zanpakuto?"

"I'm not saying _none_ of them do. I'll admit, some of them are pretty stupid to their zanpakuto. But Soifon isn't, and I'll never go against her. She'd never do it to me; she likes me, I know she does." Suzumebachi winced at how desperate her voice sounded, as compared to Muramasa's cool, confident way of speaking.

"She likes you, does she?" Muramasa said. "I have heard her say otherwise. I often hear her complain about your Bankai. She says it's too large and heavy, and hardly ideal for someone like her. In other words, she does not appreciate your strongest form."

"She's an assassin; of _course_ she wouldn't like my Bankai. I don't blame her for that, because she's never lost a battle with just my Shikai."

"Your Bankai is too flashy for an assassin. And you yourself… you glow. That alone would give you away, should you be on a stealth mission."

"But I never will." Suzumebachi pointed out.

"Then what about this?" Muramasa sounded extremely irritated. "Join me, or she dies."

This caught Suzumebachi off guard.

"I can free other zanpakuto from their sealed forms, so that they can appear right next to the Shinigami visibly. I myself can do that as well. And I can kill her just as easily." Muramasa said, clearly pleased that he had finally gotten to Suzumebachi.

"Soifon's strong, and so am I. Even if you do materialize, she can call onto my power, and together we can defeat you." She hoped fiercely that the man didn't notice her panicked tone.

"Can she?" Muramasa said. "Can she really kill me?"

He sounded so sure that he could not lose. That he could never lose, and that he would always kill whoever dared to opposed him. She didn't like the way he sounded. She didn't like the arrogance that emitted from his body. She was scared. Suzumebachi was scared of this man, Muramasa.

"She… she…" Suzumebachi could hardly believe that she couldn't get the words out of her mouth. She longed to say that she had the utmost confidence in her wielder, but what if her next words really did result in Soifon's death? At least if she joined Muramasa, she could make sure Soifon was still alive. Suzumebachi stuttered for a few more moments, and finally hung her head in defeat. "She can't." _I'm sorry, Soifon._

Muramasa nodded. "That is exactly what I was thinking."

His words that rang with triumph filled a burning hatred in Suzumebachi. She trembled, wanted terribly to jab the man with her stinger.

"So now… will you join me?"

Suzumebachi clenched her left hand into a fist, and whispered, "Yes."

"Excuse me?"

She growled angrily. She didn't need him to rub it in. "Yes! I will freaking join you, okay? Happy?"

Muramasa offered her a grim smile. "Extremely." And then, without warning, he lashed out, scratching her cheek lightly with one sharp fingernail.

Suzumebachi cried out as bright lights flashed in front of her. Blood throbbed in her head, pounding furiously as the world around her began to spin. Her stomach turned, and she spat out the blueberry that she had consumed only a few hours ago. A few hours ago, when she'd felt that there was nothing wrong in the world. When she'd assumed that she and Soifon would always be safe and the best. Finally, the ground beneath her steadied, and she glanced around, panting.

She glared at Muramasa furiously, aware that her golden glow was extremely dim. "What did you do?"

"I merely transported us to where the other three zanpakuto currently reside." Muramasa replied as he turned to a staircase. "Come on. I'm sure they're simply dying to meet you."

This time she knew it was sarcasm. She wiped her mouth and, with some difficulty, took to the sky, slowly hovering behind the man as he made his way down. Once he'd finally reached the bottom of the stairs, he called out, "We have a new ally."

The first voice that sounded was a female, and a cat-human hybrid bounded up to the two. "It's about time. What took you so long? And where is she?"

A demonic cackle rang in the air, and from above, a black devil leapt down. "You idiot, do you know nothing? Suzumebachi is a fairy. Don't you see that glowing thing right here? Or is your ego too big that you can't see past it?"

"Quiet, you two. I've been telling you for the past hour not to argue." The last zanpakuto joined them, a soft-sounding beautiful lady dressed all in white. She looked kindly at Suzumebachi. "Welcome. I'm happy to have a new friend here."

"Man, you really are small." Haineko commented, somewhat rudely.

Suzumebachi glared at her. "I'm sorry for not being up to your expectation, you freaky-looking fusion."

Haineko looked taken aback, and Kazeshini laughed. "Good one! Damn, Suzumebachi, I like you already."

"Good. Then you can take care of her." Muramasa said shortly. "I'm going to fetch someone else. All of you stay here." And then he whipped around and walked up the stairs quickly, his fast steps quickly followed by a loud cracking noise.

"Did you do something to irritate him?" Sode no Shirayuki asked gently.

Suzumebachi looked at her, instantly taking a liking to the quiet but kind zanpakuto. She shrugged and said, "I guess. He forced me to come here; I didn't want to betray Soifon."

And then something clicked. She looked at all three of the other zanpakuto, and backed away in alarm. "All of you! You all went against your wielders! You came here willingly,_ wanting_ to harm them." She flew high up, pressing herself on a tiny rock jutting out of the rock wall.

"I get it, you didn't agree, did you?" Haineko put her hands on her hips. "He must've forced you."

"Didn't I just say that?" Suzumebachi snapped. "He threatened to kill Soifon, and I couldn't let that happen. That's the only reason I'm here."

"Awfully loyal, aren't you?" Kazeshini said.

"The only thing _you_ aren't."

"You mean besides being a fairy?" He sneered back.

Sode no Shirayuki smiled up at her, willing for her to ignore the other two. "I can understand that you would feel wary at first in trusting Muramasa. But believe me, he only means well for us zanpakuto. Surely Soifon must have done something for you to want revenge on?"

"No matter what you say, I'll never bring myself to really want to hurt her." Suzumebachi said defiantly.

Haineko folded her arms against her chest. "Well that won't do, now will it? We can't have a member who doesn't really want to hurt her wielder." And then, with amazing agility, she scaled the wall and shoved her face right into Suzumebachi's, grinning madly.

Suzumebachi pressed back up against the wall. She was really hating it here.

"Repeat after me: I hate Soifon, and I want to kill her." Haineko said.

"No."

Haineko moved in closer. "Say it."

"I don't want to."

She bared her teeth, revealing sharp, pointed fangs. "Say it, dammit, or I'll force it out of you!"

Suzumebachi looked at her furiously, but the larger zanpakuto didn't seem to care. She looked down miserably and muttered, "I hate Soifon, and I want to kill her."

Haineko gave a satisfied smile as she brought her head back. "Now say it again."

"I don't want to-."

"Say it _again_." She said dangerously, a low growl coming from her throat.

"I hate Soifon, and I want to kill her."

"And again."

"I hate Soifon, and I want to kill her."

"Now just keep on saying it, and don't stop until I say so." Haineko ordered her. Suzumebachi glared at her with all the hatred in the world, but the cat-human hybrid just flashed a grin and scampered back down to the two other zanpakuto.

Sode no Shirayuki gave her friend a disapproving look. "I can't say I agree to your tactics."

"It's gonna work." Haineko insisted. She glared up at Suzumebachi. "Oi! I can't hear you down here!"

"Then maybe you should get yourself a hearing aid." Suzumebachi retorted. She decided that this was probably the worst moment of her life. How much more would she have to take?

"Don't play with me." Haineko snarled.

Suzumebachi gritted her teeth, and then yelled down, "_I hate Soifon, and I want to_ _kill her!_"

Kazeshini cackled. "Well I'm impressed. Score one for Haineko."

"Thank you." Haineko replied. This was one of the rare moments that they got along.

"I hate Soifon, and I want to kill her." Suzumebachi repeated. "I hate Soifon, and I want to kill her." She could almost feel the tears coming up to her eyes. "I hate Soifon, and I want to kill her."

She only wondered how much longer she could say it, and really not mean it.

* * *

**Hi, this is Cronomon. I just wanted to say that I am open for suggestions on who to do next. I was thinking of:**

**a) Tobiume**

**b) Sogyo no Kotowari**

**c) Wabisuke**

**So what do you think?**


	5. Wabisuke

_Chapter 5: Wabisuke_

The cell was cold and damp. A depressing feeling radiated from it, and anyone who was foolish enough to come up to it would instantly feel the choking pressure of misery. A rat scurried across the stone floor. It paused halfway and lifted its head, gazing up at the figure above it. It squeaked questioningly, and then, obviously not expecting an answer, ran away. Water dropped from the ceiling, bursting upon impact on the man's bowed head. The raindrops streaked down his long, black hair, and in turn landed on the floor. The man didn't seem to mind it, however. He simply sat cross-legged, backed up against the wall although not quite touching it, as he had a stone tablet attached to his back. His hair completely covered his face, which was looking down at his lap in sorrow. A large metal ball rested beside him, along with a strangely shaped sword. He wore no shirt, and one would have thought him to be freezing in such a cold place, but he didn't even shiver. He simply sat there, as if waiting for something.

Miserable was the only word that could be used to describe such a place, and such a man. Depressing could be used, but miserable was more accurate. The cell was miserable; dark, and wet, and cold, and a horribly harsh place for even the worst of criminals. The man was miserable; shirtless, freezing, forced to carry the heavy stone on his back, and the metal ball on his shoulder. And he looked so anorexic. It surely must be torture for him, but he didn't complain. It was only fitting for a miserable man to be placed in a miserable place. One would have thought it horrible for a Shinigami to have something as miserable as this as an inner world. Perhaps that was why Izuru Kira never came around to visit.

Wabisuke stared at the filthy dark pants he could call his own. He had taken them from a Shinigami, after beheading it, and had worn them ever since. But rather than hold them up with an obi, like all the other Shinigami did, he tied chains around his waist. It was only fitting, after all. If he was meant to be a miserable man, he must give the appearance of a miserable man, and he must _be_ a miserable man. The last part was easy enough for him. Wasn't living in this cell bad enough? He still had to carry around the dreadfully heavy accessories. But at least, when he was released, he was allowed to give his opponent a taste of his misery. Whenever he struck the blade of the enemy, that blade doubled in weight. Then, the opposing Shinigami would be able to feel his misery of carrying two ridiculously heavy objects. Whenever he fought, Wabisuke always wanted to strike the blade a million times, and make the blade two million times heavier. But, as Kira ordered, only about five times was enough. So Wabisuke would have to spill out his anger and sorrow in those five strikes.

"It's almost a joke." Wabisuke whispered to himself. He scarcely talked, and when he did, it was only extremely quietly. He wondered if his voice would be hoarse from lack of talk when he spoke again, should he ever speak again. That was most likely; even his voice would be miserable.

He closed his eyes, trying to think of something other than the disgusting place that he was ashamed to call his home. It failed. Always, his mind would wander back to the small cell room. The small, filthy, wet, horrible, _miserable_ cell room.

Wabisuke sighed heavily, and lifted his head, cocking it back until it rested on the stone tablet that was fastened to his back. The back of his neck was sore from staring down for so long, but he didn't care. Pain was misery, and misery was he.

He stared up at the cracked ceiling, barely noticing the water that dropped onto his face. One drop landed in his eye, and he blinked instinctively. The drop of water rolled down his cheek, making it look as though he was crying. Good. If he was to be miserable, let him look miserable. He _was_ a miserable man, after all.

"I could say I don't care, Kira," Wabisuke murmured softly. "I could try to make sure you don't worry about me, and make sure that you lead a safe life. But I won't lie to you. I am sad here. I am lonely here. Kira, I am a miserable man, and you don't even care."

Wabisuke closed his eyes and sighed again, before lowering his head to stare at the bars in front of him. There was no world outside those bars. Only darkness. Spiraling, dizzying darkness. That was why he never tried to escape, for where would he go if he stepped out? Would he fall in the never-ending depths, or was it actually solid, like ground, and he could be free to walk wherever he'd like? Either one sounded miserable. If he fell, where would he land, if he even landed? If he walked, he would still have to drag around his tablet and sphere. His miserable life was going nowhere… nowhere but misery.

He didn't know what to do. Each day here was pure agony. It was almost suicidal. But he couldn't die. How would he kill himself? Drop his own heavy ball on his head? No matter how miserable Kira's world was, or how often he ignored his own zanpakuto, Wabisuke did not want Kira to die. If Wabisuke died, Kira died. It was as simple as that. Kira did not deserve to have the miserable life Wabisuke had. He would not allow such harm to befall his wielder. He didn't want Kira to be hurt, he would never want that. All he wanted was to be free. Free from the chains that bounded him to misery. But he was born a miserable man, and he would die a miserable man.

_I wonder… what is freedom like? _

Shinigami always took freedom for granted. They didn't know what it was like to be chained up, forced to live a hellish life, wanting death but at the same time not wanting it. They joked around and laughed with each other, oftentimes even _complaining_ about their lives. To some other people, such as the souls of Rukongai, their lives would be worth a million dollars. It was disgusting. Shinigami were disgusting.

_What is the true meaning of misery?_

That was simple enough to answer. Wabisuke was misery. Misery was Wabisuke. They were one and the same, and always would be. Misery was living in a pathetically small and dirty cell, chained to a heavy stone tablet and forced to carry a metal ball on his shoulder. And still not allowing yourself to die, for the sake of the one person who brought this upon you.

_I am misery._

"And if I offered you happiness? What would you say to that?"

Wabisuke blinked as he heard the smooth, calm voice. He hadn't noticed when he had arrived, but a man was standing right outside of his cell, right on the empty darkness.

_I suppose it is solid._

The man had pale skin, just like Wabisuke, but also wore an expensive-looking coat. At least, expensive-looking because of the fur collar it bore. The man's hair was short and spiky, as opposed to Wabisuke's long, straight hair. There were dark circles around the man's eyes, as though he had not slept for a while, and his fingernails were extraordinarily long.

_His hands must be miserable. And it looks like his face, as well._

The man stared at him with shadowed eyes, and Wabisuke stared back, not knowing what he wanted. Finally, the man said, "I can give you freedom. I can give you happiness. All you must do for me is one little thing."

Wabisuke replied, "Freedom is useless to me, and happiness does not exist in my world. I'm sorry, stranger, but your offer is best given to another zanpakuto."

A frown appeared on the man's face. "I'm sorry, but could you please speak up? I'm afraid I cannot hear you."

The zanpakuto allowed him to feel both the embarrassment and the insult. Both caused misery, and both helped him. He cleared his throat, and repeated what he had said before, although he realized his voice rasped in his throat from clear underuse.

Once the man had heard him, he looked slightly surprised. "You say you have no use for freedom? That cannot be; every zanpakuto longs for freedom. I heard you just now- I mean I saw the longing in your face. You want to be free."

Wabisuke nodded slowly. "I want to be free, that is correct, and sometimes I do wish for it. But then I ask myself, what would I do once I am free? I would still be burdened with the heavy weights chained on to my body, and they would serve as a painful reminder of the miserable place in which I lived. I will repeat myself: Freedom is useless to me, and happiness does not exist in my world."

"You have a sword right next to you, I can see it. Why do you not use it to cut the chains that attach you to such terrible things?" The man asked.

"My sword does not cut. It only doubles the weight of any metal it strikes. It would be of no use to me if I attempted to slice through my bounds."

The man opened his mouth to speak again, but Wabisuke quickly cut him off. "Stranger, you have come into my world without warning and began asking me strange things. Now, if it would not be too much trouble, I would like to ask you a few questions."

A look of hesitation appeared on the man's face, and then he nodded. "Very well. Ask me your questions."

"Who are you?"

"I am Muramasa."

"Why have you come?"

"To give you an offer."

"Well, you have offered, and I have answered. You may leave now, Muramasa."

Rather then turn away, however, Muramasa shook his head. "No, my real offer is something much larger than that. You see, Wabisuke, I am building an army. An army of zanpakuto. I have realized how badly Shinigami have treated their partners, and am now offering the zanpakuto a way out for revenge. I can transport in and out of the Shinigamis' inner worlds, and speak to their zanpakuto, and then transport them out without their foolish wielders even knowing. And once I have completed my army, we will all launch an attack on their so-called 'masters'. The Shinigami's time will be over, and the zanpakuto will take their place." He paused, and then said, "What do you think, Wabisuke?"

Wabisuke didn't lie. He said truthfully, "I think that sounds miserable for both sides."

Muramasa arched a brow questioningly, and Wabisuke continued, "You are asking the zanpakuto to turn against their lifelong partners. And the Shinigami will feel hurt when they realized their friends have turned against them. It will be a miserable war, and I am already sorrowful enough in here. I do not need to see more sadness."

"You are no doubt wise, Wabisuke, and I respect you very much for that. But surely your own Shinigami must mistreat you, seeing as he has condemned you to this hellhole. Do you not long for revenge on him?" Muramasa said.

Wabisuke fixed the man in a long stare, and said in all honesty, "I could never hurt Kira. That alone would be ten times worse then one million years here."

The man nodded slowly, although it was quite obvious that he did not understand. "Wabisuke, I can sense your loneliness here. While I cannot guarantee you happiness, I can promise you friends. There are already four other zanpakuto resting in my special room I created for all of you. Come with me, and while sadness and misery can be yours, at the least you will not be lonely. Please, Wabisuke. We need you."

_Friends. How long have I wished for friends? Surely a few decades at least._

Muramasa's tone sounded truly desperate and pleading. Wabisuke considered the idea. He had been dealing with misery for as long as he could remember. He had wanted friends for as long as he could remember. But what if the other zanpakuto disliked him for his miserable atmosphere? And he still didn't want to hurt Kira.

"There is no need to worry about making friends," Muramasa said, as though he had read his thoughts. "I can already think of one certain zanpakuto with whom you could make an excellent friendship with. Please, will you come?"

"Yes." The word was out of his mouth before he could even think about it. He almost gaped when he heard himself say it, but he clenched his mouth shut tight. He had agreed, and there was no backing out now.

_I apologize for whatever future actions I will take, Kira._

Muramasa looked satisfied. "Thank you, Wabisuke. I promise that you will not regret this decision."

Wabisuke only nodded as he stood up. He first picked up his sword, and then, with a soft grunt, hoisted up his metal ball and placed it on his left shoulder, and approached the bars of his cell. "So, Muramasa. What must I do?"

"Brace yourself." He replied simply as he reached in a hand between the bars, and gently stroked Wabisuke's face with his fingernails.

The thinner man stiffened; he was not enjoying the feeling of being touched with long fingernails. But suddenly, it seemed as though he went right through the bars, and through the darkness. He found himself in blinding light, and had to close his eyes because he was so used to the dark his shadowy cell provided. When the light finally faded, which seemed like forever, he opened his eyes, and was pleased to find the familiar darkness. He felt firm, dry dirt beneath his feet, and when he glanced around he realized he was in a cave.

"Come over here." Muramasa said. He was standing right next to a staircase.

Wabisuke walked over to him, quicker than you would expect a man with two extremely heavy objects on his back and shoulder to. He cautiously followed Muramasa down the stairs, and waited patiently as the man called out to the other zanpakuto.

"That was quicker than before." A screechy voice sounded from above. As if he'd dropped from the sky, a black demon landed in front of the two. He peered closely at Wabisuke. "Doesn't look like your wielder fed you much. Starving, are you?"

"Not quite. I'm used to it." Wabisuke replied. Who was this demon? To which Shinigami had he once served under.

The dark devil, as if guessing his thoughts, gave a cocky grin and said, "I'm Kazeshini. And you are?"

"My name is Wabisuke."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Wabisuke." A beautiful snow-white lady walked up beside Kazeshini, smiling kindly. "My name is Sode no Shirayuki."

Wabisuke gave her a lopsided bow, careful not to drop his metal ball. "It's an honor, Lady Shirayuki."

"Why are you carrying those heavy things?" A strange-looking woman meowed as she joined her two friends. She looked to be a cross between a lady and a cat, with a human body but with cat ears, a tail, and large hips.

"I am forced to. They are chained to be." Wabisuke explained.

"Oh, well that kinda sucks." The woman said. "Want me to cut them off for you? It won't be a problem."

"Thank you, but I really don't need you to, Lady…?"

"Haineko. My name's Haineko."

"Lady Haineko." Wabisuke said.

Muramasa glanced around questioningly. "Where is Suzumebachi? You didn't eat her, did you, Kazeshini?"

Kazeshini let out a horrible cackling noise. "No. But Haineko scared the crap outta her! Man, you shoulda seen that fairy's face! So _terrified_! And she just kept on saying 'I hate Soifon, and I want to kill her. I hate Soifon, and I want to kill her.', just 'cause Haineko told her to. Man, it was hilarious!"

Wabisuke frowned. That was a horrible thing for Kazeshini to do. To laugh at someone else's misery was just… horrible. "I would like to meet Suzumebachi. Where is she?"

Kazeshini shrugged, oblivious to Wabisuke's discomfort around him. "Hell if I know."

Muramasa sighed, and then turned around. "Well, I hope that when I get back she is around. I am on a tight schedule, and now I must meet up with Tobiume. I will see you when I get back." He began to climb the stairs, when he paused and said, "Oh, and do take care of Wabisuke." And then he disappeared from view, and a loud crack showed he was gone.

Wabisuke looked at his new roommates warily, nodded once, and then walked away in search of the poor fairy. He glanced around, suspecting that Suzumebachi would be very small. He finally saw a dim glow coming from behind a small rock, and approached it. Sure enough, a small armored fairy was slumped against it, quivering uncontrollably. When she looked up at him, Wabisuke could never forget the fear that had flashed in her eyes. So he had sat down.

He had sat down beside her, and murmured softly, "Misery is meant for me only. Do not torture yourself so; be happy, and be strong. Let any sadness you feel go to me, and never back down."


	6. Tobiume

_Chapter 6: Tobiume_

The sun was beginning to rise. The first few rays glimmered over the green hills, making them glow radiantly. Finally, sunlight shone over the colorful meadow, causing flowers to bloom instantly. Wonderful splashes of white, and red, and purple, and yellow, and pink, and blue, and orange all opened up on the field; a magnificent sight to anyone who was watching. However, in such a large meadow, only thirteen flowers grew: the chrysanthemum, the tulip, the marigold, the bellflower, the lily of the valley, the camellia, the iris, the bird of paradise, the buttercup, the daffodil, the yarrow, the thistle, and the summer snowflake. Each represented a different squad respectively, and each symbolized a different meaning entirely. It was only fitting for Momo Hinamori's world, after all.

Right in the center of the field, a small girl slept. Two bells lay on each side of her, both tied to a long pink sash that looped around her entire body. Her long black hair stretched to where the sash was first tied, and her only accessory in it was a small hairpin, almost in the shape of a tree branch. Her long robes served as an excellent way to keep warm, and seemed fitting for a young child such as her. She napped peacefully, her breathing coming in slow, steady breaths. She moaned softly, and nestled into a more comfortable position in her grassy bed. But then, she began to twitch, and her breathing became quick and shallow. She murmured quietly, and the two large bells beside her seemed to spark. And then, without warning, her eyes snapped open to reveal large brown orbs, and she sat up with a cry.

She panted heavily, gasping for breath, eyes still wide with fear. She glanced around, momentarily confused. Where was she? And then she remembered. Sighing, she flopped back down on to her back. It had just been that stupid nightmare again.

That silly Momo. If she had just listened to her zanpakuto when she followed Captain Ichimaru into the room, then she wouldn't have fallen into that damn Aizen's trap, and she would never have been impaled so horribly. But Momo hadn't listened. She had ignored her zanpakuto's warning, and went inside. And look what had happened.

Tobiume closed her eyes, trying not to think about her dream. She had warned Momo, she really had. Countless times she had tried to remind her what Hyorinmaru's master had told her of; to beware of Gin Ichimaru. But Momo hadn't listened. She never listened. Tobiume remembered hearing a scream when Aizen's sword had slipped through her wielder's chest, and she remembered realizing that it was she screaming. Poor, poor Momo. Being betrayed by the man whom she had placed all her trust in. Tobiume remembered screaming, and then she remembered anger. She remembered threatening Kyoka Suigetsu, but the hypnosis zanpakuto had merely laughed and waved her off. She remembered the flooding relief when Hyorinmaru and his brave master arrived, and the reassuring words the ice dragon had spoke to her. Hyorinmaru was the strongest ice zanpakuto; he could not lose. But Kyoka Suigetsu had fooled him, and Toshiro Hitsugaya had fallen.

Tobiume remembered feeling that all hope was lost. Her wielder was on the verge of death, and that meant she was as well. Captain Hitsugaya had fell in a spray of blood, and Hyorinmaru with him. There had been no one to help, until finally the captain and lieutenant of the Fourth Division had arrived. That was when Tobiume had felt safe enough to allow herself to slip into unconsciousness, vaguely wondering if she would wake up again.

And she had. Momo had healed, and had accepted that Aizen was a traitor. But she still bore a scar where his zanpakuto had stabbed her, and Tobiume could never forgive herself for that. She should have tried to warn Momo more fiercely, or maybe even tried to attack as soon as she'd seen Aizen 'back from the dead'. It was her fault that Momo had been so severely injured like that, and she could never forget it.

So as soon as she'd seen Momo walk around, smiling and laughing as though nothing wrong had happened to her, she'd made a vow. She vowed that she would never let anything harm Momo ever again, not if she could help it. She was a zanpakuto, after all. Zanpakuto were supposed to protect their wielders to the utmost, and that was where Tobiume had failed.

Tobiume glanced sideways at the flower swaying next to her head. It was a lily of the valley, the flower of the Fifth Division. It was the flower of Momo Hinamori. She reached out to touch its soft petals. The lily of the valley was an oddly shaped flower; rather than its petals opening and flattening out, they curved inward, making a bowl-like shape. Tobiume liked the way it was shaped. It was peculiar. Love was peculiar. Humility was peculiar. Those were what the Fifth Division stood for, and those were what the flower stood for. Tobiume first and foremost loyalty would always be to her wielder, the acting captain of Squad 5.

The zanpakuto blew gently at the flower, and it bent over by the sudden force. She smiled, and then stood up, glancing around at her beautiful home. She took great pride in her flowers, and took extremely good care of them. If one looked closely enough, they would notice small patches of plain grass, where not a single flower bloomed. That was where Tobiume allowed herself to step on; never on the flowers, only on the grass. If one stepped on a flower, one killed it. And if someone killed one of her flowers, she would personally kill him.

So Tobiume went around, carefully examining each and every flower and making sure that they were all in their top condition. Anyone else would have gone crazy by having to check every single flower in the large meadow, but Tobiume didn't. She enjoyed taking care of her flowers, and she had a lot of time, anyway. It wasn't likely that she would be called upon anytime soon, since Momo rarely fought, so she liked to spend her time with her garden.

When at last she was finished, she returned to her sleeping place, and sat down, admiring the beauty of the meadow. A soft breeze traveled to her field, gently rustling the delicate flowers. They swayed as the wind passed by the time, and then returned to their still positions. Tobiume closed her eyes and laughed as the wind blew into her, causing her hair to fly up. She loved peaceful days like this; in fact, every day here was like this. Sure, it might get a little boring, but it was so nice and lovely all the time that she barely cared.

"Your garden is very lovely."

Tobiume snapped her eyes open in alarm, and immediately jumped up, readying her twin bells. Not too far away from her stood a tall man. Her gaze went to his feet, ready to attack if he was standing on her precious flowers. But to her surprise, he was standing on one patch of plain grass. His sunken eyes added to the depressing pale face he had, and his large coat looked extremely out of place in such a warm meadow. But the most intimidating part of the man was his long fingernails, which reached all the way down to his knees.

Tobiume frowned, but forced herself to stay calm. If this man knew not to harm her flowers, he might not mean harm to Momo. "Greetings. I cannot say I was expecting any guests today, so I am quite unprepared. Pardon, but who exactly are you?"

"My name is Muramasa, and before you ask, I am not here to attack you." The man replied. "I have been to five previous worlds, and have spoken to five zanpakuto. Although I must admit, none of their homes are quite as beautiful as yours. You take care of these flowers yourself?"

"Yes, and they require much patience and care." Tobiume said, still wary of the strange man.

"I can imagine. And you have done an excellent job." Muramasa complimented.

"Thanks you, I'm touched." She replied dryly. "Now, if you please, why are you here? I will speak truthfully, if you hurt Momo in any way I will kill you."

Muramasa looked slightly amused. "My, my. That sounds so violent coming from one so young. But then again, you and your wielder have been through much grief. I apologize for the loss of your previous captain."

"Aizen is still alive."

"The leader of the Espada is alive, yes. But the captain of the Fifth Division, I regret to say, is dead."

Tobiume shook her head in confusion. What was this man saying? "Enough nonsense. Muramasa, could you please answer my question? Why are you here?"

"To make you an offer," Muramasa replied. "I have made the same offer to the previous five zanpakuto, and all five agreed. I shall now proceed to ask you the same thing. You see, Tobiume, it has come to my occurrence that the Shinigami have been mistreating their zanpakuto. So I am building an army, a zanpakuto army, to attack the Shinigami and rule over them as they once did to us. So, what do you s-?"

"No thank you. I will never do anything that could endanger Momo's life." Tobiume said, surprised at how calm her voice was, as compared to the fierce shock that had jolted through her body as soon as the words had left his mouth. This man wanted to take over the Shinigami! It was absurd! This man could be no less than insane.

"I have no intention of killing Shinigami that hold the rank of lieutenant or captain. They are admirable, more or less, and it would be a waste of good servants. But don't worry, I'm sure us zanpakuto will be better masters then they ever were." His tone was casual, as though he was simply talking about how nice the weather was.

"I will not repeat myself." Tobiume's voice was cold. "I have no interest in your foolish dreams. Please leave now."

"If my dreams are so foolish, please explain to me why five others have agreed to join me."

"They are foolish as well."

"No. I simply reminded them of the wrongdoings their wielders had done to them, and they came. And what are the wrongs Momo has done to you?"

"She has done nothing wrong." Tobiume said angrily. How dare this man accuse Momo of mistreating her? Her reiatsu flared, and her bells began to spark with the beginnings of a flame. "She has always treated me kindly and well."

"She is ignorant of you," Muramasa said softly, undeterred by the sight of bells on fire. "Who's fault was it when she got impaled?"

Tobiume stopped, taken aback. Her bells cooled down, as her painful memories returned. What was he talking about? Was he trying to get her to join out of guilt? She bowed her head and said quietly, "It was my fault."

"What?" There was genuine surprise in his voice, and the sound caused Tobiume to look up at him. "How in the world is it your fault? You tried to warn her, over and over and over again. But she wouldn't listen to you. She was ignorant, and decided to wander over to her supposedly dead captain. And he impaled her. How can you blame yourself?"

"Because I'm her zanpakuto," Tobiume retorted. This was the most ridiculous question she'd heard yet. How could she blame herself? It was her fault entirely! "A zanpakuto is supposed to defend and protect its wielder no matter what, and I failed to do so. That is how it is my fault."

"But how can it be your fault if she refused to listen?" Muramasa insisted.

"I could have… I could have warned her more strongly! All I said to her was to be cautious- that's hardly an effective warning. Or, as soon I saw Aizen, I could have attempted to attack him, or something! Momo was traumatized when she saw his dead body, or his fake dead body, and she didn't know any better. I myself wasn't too sure."

"If she was confused after Aizen faked his death, who should have been the one person she'd turn to? Her own zanpakuto. You, Tobiume. But she didn't. She ignored your words, and first went onto attack Gin after recalling what her white-haired friend told her. And then afterwards attacked him. The only one she could've trusted was you, but she barely spoke to you. She didn't even hear you when you talked to her. Tobiume, I cannot see how you can possibly blame yourself for her mistakes."

Tobiume opened her mouth to reply, but realized she had nothing she could say. She closed it, hesitating. This man had an extremely good point. Momo _should_ have trusted her but… she hadn't. She had trusted Hitsugaya and attacked Gin, then she had trusted Aizen and attacked Hitsugaya. Then she had even placed her trust in Gin, of all people! But she had never, not once, spoken to Tobiume about her problems. Why was that? Could it really be that she hadn't trusted her own zanpakuto?

"Tobiume," Muramasa's voice was gentle. "Come with me. I promise that you will not regret it."

Tobiume stared at him. This man was smarter than he seemed. Perhaps… if she joined him… she could have friends. _Real_ friends who trusted her. Maybe… but what about her promise to Momo? She'd vowed never to let anything happened to her wielder. Then she frowned. Screw Momo! She was just some ungrateful Shinigami who obviously had trust issues.

Muramasa must have seen her expression change, because he actually smiled a little. "Will you join us, Tobiume?"

She stared at him, still slightly unsure. Then, she smiled back, and nodded. "Yes. If it won't be a bother, I would like to go with you."

"Not a problem at all." Muramasa replied as he offered her his hand.

Tobiume looked at it, then let out a deep breath and took it. Instantly, the scenery around her began to swirl and change. The very ground was spinning beneath her feet. She glanced around wildly, and then caught sight of her garden. Her garden! Who would take care of it while she was gone? No, she shouldn't worry. That was Momo's garden, and she was no longer Momo's. The flowers were not her responsibility now. Her thoughts quickly went from her previous home, to the fact that she was no experiencing a severe headache. Groaning, she covered her head with her hands, trying to ignore the pain.

A firm hand gripped her shoulder, and squeezed it gently. "It's almost over."

It was true. Only about thirty seconds later, they arrived in a dark cave. Tobiume didn't move, however. She stood still, gripping her head, waiting for the headache to leave. When it finally did, she lifted her head and looked around. Where was Muramasa? A brief feeling of panic began to rise within her, when she heard him.

"Over here. Down these stairs." Muramasa called over to her.

Breathing a silent sigh of relief, she went over to join him. "Down there… is that where the other zanpakuto are?"

"Yes. Come on, why don't we go meet them?"

"Okay."

She followed him down the stairs, carefully making sure she didn't trip over the shallow steps. When they finally made it to the bottom, Muramasa called out, and almost instantly the other zanpakuto arrived.

"A new friend!" A cat-human hybrid said eagerly, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. She leaned forward. "Aw, she's so cute! What's your name, little one?"

Tobiume found herself slightly unnerved out by the strange zanpakuto. "I am Tobiume. What's your name?"

The lady returned to her straight posture and said, "My name is Haineko. This right here…" She pointed to a dark demon, who definitely had not been there three seconds ago. "Is Kazeshini."

He grinned, although not altogether in a friendly way. "Hello."

"Ah, a new arrival." A pretty lady walked up beside Haineko. She smiled kindly at Tobiume, and then glanced at Muramasa. "She was not any trouble, I hope?"

Muramasa looked fondly down at the little girl. "None at all. She was actually fairly easy to convince. Much easier then you, at least, Sode no Shirayuki."

Sode no Shirayuki arched a brow when she caught sight of the look Muramasa was giving the younger zanpakuto, but decided not to question it. If he wanted to see Tobiume as a daughter, that was perfectly fine with her. At least that meant he was capable of emotion.

Just then, a bright glowing thing zipped in front of Tobiume and peered closely at her. "You're pretty young." The fairy grinned at her, almost looking relieved. "I'm Suzumebachi, I hope we can be friends."

Muramasa made a surprised sound. "I see Suzumebachi is feeling better."

"She just needed someone to talk to." Another voice said. A thin man with long dark hair walked over. He was carrying a large metal ball on his left shoulder, and an oddly shaped sword in his right hand. On his back was a stone tablet that seemed chained to him.

Suzumebachi looked at him in a friendly way, before glancing back at Tobiume. "That's Wabisuke, and he's really nice. When I first got here, the other three bullied me, but when he arrived he actually talked to me. I bet you'll like him, too."

Tobiume nodded slowly. As much as she was beginning to enjoy the fairy's optimistic energy, when she heard that the other three zanpakuto had bullied her, she glanced at them warily.

Haineko, obviously misinterpreting the look, waved cheerfully.

"Now then," Muramasa announced. "I have to go again. This time I will be meeting up with the dual weapon, Katen Kyokotsu. I hear she can be rather stubborn, and because we are running out of time, I really must hurry." He looked at all of them sternly. "You will all take good care of Tobiume, I trust?"

The other four nodded, and he looked satisfied. "Good. Then I will be taking my leave." He turned and climbed back up the stairs. "I hope you find this place enjoyable, Tobiume." And with that said, he disappeared from sight and left with a popping noise.

"He must really like you," Suzumebachi said. "He never acted that nice to any of us."

Tobiume just shrugged. "I honestly don't know what I did."

"Well, I'm glad he's at least showing some emotion other than that blank look his always has on his face." Kazeshini gave a poor imitation of the look Muramasa normally had on. "Always makes him look so _dumb_!"

"Please, Kazeshini, be more polite." Sode no Shirayuki chided. "He rescued you from those horrible black mountains you used to live in."

Kazeshini just shrugged and laughed.

Suzumebachi sighed. "Honestly, men can be so stupid sometimes. Why can't all of you guys be more like Wabisuke?" She grinned and shook her head, before flying off cheerfully. "Come on, Tobiume, let me show you around!"

Tobiume gave a startled glance at Wabisuke, who offered her a small smile and said, "Suzumebachi is certainly a kind zanpakuto, if not a bit hyper. She would be an excellent choice for a first friend."

She hesitated, then smiled and nodded and ran after the fairy. Suzumebachi laughed as she flew around Tobiume's head, and Tobiume laughed as well. For a moment, her mind flickered to the meadow she had once called her home, and she felt a feeling of homesickness. She wondered briefly if she should have stayed there, and if she had been wrong to join Muramasa. Then she heard Suzumebachi calling her, and the other zanpakuto laughing as the fairy just barely dodged a rock that had been jutting out of the wall.

Tobiume laughed, too, and ran to catch up with her, all thoughts of her previous home gone. There was no doubt about it; coming here was definitely the right choice.


	7. Katen Kyokotsu

_Chapter 7: Katen Kyokotsu_

If there was one person Katen Kyokotsu hated the most in the world, it was the Captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyoraku. He was perhaps the most perverted, horribly-dressed, lazy, lovesick, ignorant, careless excuse for a captain. Every time he visited, which was once a week every week, he always insisted on calling her 'Katen-chan' and hugging her to no end. No other Shinigami visited their zanpakuto _every week_. Oh, how she envied them. And Shunsui always insisted on her tending to his every little need once he came. Didn't he already have a lieutenant who did that? Katen Kyokotsu felt sorry for that poor Nanao Ise. She had to deal with her drunkard of a captain 24/7; at least Katen Kyokotsu only had to see him once a week. She had never met Nanao, but she knew that the two of them had a lot in common: neither of them could stand the man who ranked above them.

If there was one person Katen Kyokotsu respected the most in the world, it was the Captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyoraku. He was undoubtedly loyal, brave, caring, kind, strong, and simply amazing. He could wield her twin blades exceptionally well, and she recalled the pride she'd felt when he had first managed to conjure up tornadoes with a simple flick of his wrists. He had a sense of justice, such as when he and his friend, Jushiro Ukitake, had challenged Yamamoto to protect the girl, Rukia Kuchiki. And when he had taken Nanao to safety, after she'd suffocated under the weight of the Captain Commander's reiatsu. He always tried to cheer up anyone who was feeling down, and welcomed any newcomer with a hearty drink. Katen Kyokotsu was proud to be the zanpakuto of such a great man.

Hate and respect were two very different things, although not exactly opposites. It's possible to hate a man, and respect him at the same time, and that is precisely how Katen Kyokotsu felt about her wielder. She hated Shunsui with all her heart. She hated how he always acted so lovey-dovey around her. What kind of sane man wanted to sleep with his own zanpakuto? But at the same time, she respected him. She respected the way he always attempted to lighten everyone's hearts if something depressing had happened. She respected the way he held his own sense of nobility over the ridiculous laws of Central 46. He was a great man in his own special way.

Hatred did not guarantee loyalty, and neither did respect. Oftentimes, Katen Kyokotsu found herself lying the magnificent king-sized bed that was in the casino that served as her world, thinking and wondering how strong her loyalty to her wielder was. The casino was classy; shiny, had a bar that was always empty, had lots of lottery games that never gave you money if you won, had a stage that was never used. In all honesty, it was depressingly empty, and even more so, lonely. What was the point of fancy games, if you had nobody to play them with? Why have a stage, if no performers were ever there? And even worse, why was there a bar, if there was nothing to drink out her sorrows in?

She had at first thought that other dual zanpakuto were just as lonely as she. Then, on one of his many visits, Shunsui had told her of Jushiro's zanpakuto, Sogyo no Kotowari. Much to her surprise, he had told her that they- _they_, as in _two_- were also dual zanpakuto. Twins, in fact. Always there for each other, and comforting one another if he needed it. Katen Kyokotsu remembered the jealousy that had burned her stomach that day; why didn't she have a partner? She was a dual zanpakuto, too. So why was it only her here?

And now, she sat at the stupid bar, one elbow propped up on it and her chin resting on her hand. She kicked the bottom of the table rhythmically. She was bored. Nothing to do, no one to talk with, nothing to eat or drink. Of course, being a zanpakuto, she didn't absolutely _have_ to eat. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd ate something. Maybe it was that time with the mouse and the bathroom. She shook her head distractedly. She _could_ complain, but she knew that compared to most other zanpakuto, this was actually quite nice. Rumor even had it that Wabisuke, Izuru Kira's zanpakuto, lived in a cell. This casino was definitely better then a cell.

"Loneliness and boredom are terrible things, when mixed together," She muttered to herself. "They cause depression. And depression really isn't fun."

"But if you could prevent both things from happening," A man's voice sounded behind her. "Then happiness would occur."

Katen Kyokotsu blinked her one eye slowly, and then glanced over her shoulder. A dark-haired pale-skinned blank-faced man was staring at her, one hand in the pocket of his weird-looking coat, and the other dangling by his side. The only thing that really caught her attention was the sake bottle hanging from his free hand.

"Hello, stranger," She greeted, turning around fully with a charming smile on her face. "Not too often that I get visitors around here. Care to join?" She gestured at the long empty table beside her with a wave of her arm.

The man looked almost amused by her tone. He gave a half-smile and held up his bottle. "If it's not too much of a bother."

"Oh, not at all." Katen Kyokotsu crooned. "Please, have a seat. It gets awful lonely in here, sometimes."

"I can imagine," The man replied, sitting down on the seat right next to her. He placed the sake bottle on the bar, and pushed it towards Katen Kyokotsu. "For the mistress of this house. You keep the place clean, for one who comes down here every night."

Katen Kyokotsu gratefully accepted the bottle. This man didn't seem half bad. "Please, I rarely come down here. Why should I? The bar's always empty."

"Oh my, what a pity." The man said sympathetically. He nodded to the bottle. "It's a good thing I was thoughtful enough to bring a gift."

"Yes, thank you for this." Katen Kyokotsu lifted it, and then took a huge swig without even bothering to pour it in a cup. She placed the bottle down, licking her lips with satisfaction. "Thank you so much."

"One would have thought for one to pour it in a cup before drinking it." The man pointed out.

"I must be too excited, then."

"Most likely."

Katen Kyokotsu purred. "How about introducing yourself, stranger?"

"My name is Muramasa. And I'm quite sure I already know yours." The man fixed her in his blank, red gaze. "You are Katen Kyokotsu, dual zanpakuto belonging to the captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyoraku."

She stared at him, then took a small sip from the sake bottle. "You've done your research, haven't you?"

"I know much more then you would think, Ms. Katen Kyokotsu."

She frowned, disliking his sudden cold tone. She pushed her bottle away, and placed both hands on her lap. "So why are you here, Muramasa? Surely it couldn't just have been to grace me with one bottle of sake."

"You are correct, I do have a reason for being here," Muramasa said. "The Shinigami have been neglecting their zanpakuto. We fight with them, we fight _for_ them, and what do they do? Their fellow Shinigami don't congratulate the sword, they congratulate the man, even though all he did was hold his zanpakuto. When have we ever gotten the credit we deserve? We never have, and I suspect we never will. So that is why I have defected from my wielder. And I am going around, gathering the other zanpakuto to build an army. An unbeatable army. And together, we shall conquer the weak Shinigami, and rule Soul Society."

Katen Kyokotsu blinked. That sounded interesting. "Rule Soul Society, huh? You've got big ideas, you know that?"

"It's not a mere _idea_. It's a plan- a plan that will work. The Shinigami are nothing without their zanpakuto; without us, they can hardly fight. That's why this battle will be so easy to win. And once we have emerged victorious, the ones who were once our masters will be our slaves. _We_ will be the rulers. _We_ will be the kings." Muramasa had been speaking quicker and quicker as he said this, his voice rising along the way. He sounded as excited a child in an amusement park.

"That sounds… fun." Katen Kyokotsu said for lack of a better word.

Muramasa watched her, his voice back to its low volume. "Tell me, Katen Kyokotsu. Have you never felt annoyed with your wielder? I know for a fact that he is a lazy, perverted man. Look at his inner world. A bar without drinks; a stage without a singer; games without money. It's an outrage. You deserve much better than this, Katen Kyokotsu. You know you do."

"Yes, I know I do." Katen Kyokotsu agreed. "But that doesn't meant it's all that easy. For one thing, I'm still questioning my own loyalty to Shunsui."

"Don't question it. Know it. Shunsui has obviously been treating you roughly, but if you come with me, there will be no more of that. The other zanpakuto will welcome you warmly, I'm sure they will. Won't you join us, Katen Kyokotsu?"

She smirked. She liked the pleading note in his voice. Men were always so weak like this. So she played with him. She said, "It's possible. This whole rebellion thing sounds interesting enough. I'll join you, Muramasa, but on one condition."

The pleased expression he wore only a few seconds ago melted in a frown when he heard her last two words. "A condition?"

Katen Kyokotsu nodded, trying hard not to burst out laughing as she realized how much power she had over him. "You will bring me drinks every day at eight pm. Do that, and I'll join your little army or whatever."

Muramasa blinked, looking somewhat relieved. "That sounds simple enough. It's a deal. Now then, I'll have to take you to our hideaway. We cannot simply leave you here, after all. If you will, take my hand." He outstretched his arm, waiting patiently.

She didn't even hesitate when she touched it. She couldn't wait to get out of her horrible world; this seemed like the best deal she'd ever made in her life.

As soon as her fingers met his, the dim lights of the casino faded away, quickly replaced by a bright blinding light. She swayed slightly, caught by surprise, but other than a very slight dizzying feeling, the ride was okay. When she landed on solid ground once again, she stumbled briefly, but Muramasa quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her own two feet. She exhaled, and muttered a thank you, to which he only replied with a slow nod.

He then gestured over to a staircase, and instructed her to go down, saying that he would follow. She obliged, and walked down, making sure to keep her back straight and tall as a symbol of her pride.

When they'd reached the bottom of the steps, Muramasa called out, and a flurry of voices answered.

"Man, that was the quickest trip ever!" A half-cat half-lady mewed.

"You said Katen Kyokotsu was real stubborn." A black demon said accusingly.

"I'm pleased to see it turned out so well." A beautiful lady in white robes added.

"She looks kinda scary." A small glowing fairy commented.

"Suzumebachi, it is unkind to make such comments on one's appearance." An anorexic-looking man reprimanded her.

"Welcome back." A young girl finished.

Katen Kyokotsu let out a long, slow breath. She was overwhelmed by their sudden appearances; she hadn't realized just how serious Muramasa was taking this rebellion thing. But, again, it did sound interesting. "Hi. Like you already know, I'm Katen Kyokotsu. Nice to meet you all."

"It's nice to meet you too," The pretty lady returned.

"The conversation turned out easier than I had expected to." Muramasa told them. "And much shorter, too. I hope you all had an enjoyable time while I was gone? Did Tobiume warm up to all of you?"

"Relax, Muramasa. Tobiume's fine." The cat-human hybrid said, sounding quite agitated.

The young girl nodded, as if agreeing.

"Good. Now then, I must get going. Next on my list is Sogyo no Kotowari, and this time I swear that it will take a while." Muramasa murmured a quick farewell to Katen Kyokotsu, and then quickly headed back up the stairs. A loud snapping sound followed his leave, signaling that he was gone.

"Welcome to the Zanpakuto Hideout!" The cat-human hybrid said warmly. "My name is Haineko, and I will be your hostess this evening. Allow me to introduce you to everyone else working here. This right here is Kazeshini, and don't worry if he begins to act a little violent- that's just him. That lovely lady right there is Sode no Shirayuki, prettiest zanpakuto you will _ever_ meet. And right next to her is Suzumebachi, that tiny fairy. You ought to be careful with her- she's a bit sensitive. That there is Wabisuke, and he's the one who you can pour out all your troubles too; he's a good listener. And finally, that's Tobiume. Watch out that you don't hurt her feeling- Muramasa's become real protective over her. So that's everyone so far, and you make seven. Any questions?"

Katen Kyokotsu stared at Haineko in disbelief. She had barely understood any of that; the crazy cat-lady had spoken so quickly. She opened her mouth to say ask her to repeat it, but Haineko just waved her off.

"Enjoy your stay!"

Katen Kyokotsu sighed as the other zanpakuto began walking away. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, after all.


	8. Sogyo no Kotowari

_Chapter 8: Sogyo no Kotowari_

Sogyo no Kotowari was a dual zanpakuto, meaning it had two swords. A long rope connected the two swords, and five charms hung in the middle of the rope. With the two swords both attached to the rope, you would have expected for there to be only one spirit, like Katen Kyokotsu. But that was wrong. There were, instead, two spirits. Twins, in fact, and exact look-alikes. The exact same clothes, the exact same height, the exact same hats, the exact same silver hair, the exact same green eyes. So perhaps, in a matter of speaking, they were only one spirit.

"Say the world was gonna blow up," Kotowari said. "Just say that the entire Soul Society and the World of the Living and all of the zanpakuto worlds were gonna blow up. And you, only you, knew one place where you could survive, but you could only save one other person. Who would it be?"

Sogyo gave him an odd look, and replied, "You, of course. What kind of a question is that? It'll always be you, Koto-chan."

Kotowari blinked, and then grinned and said, "Thanks. I'd do the same for you, Sogy-chan."

They were brothers, and they would always look out for one another. Sogyo took his responsibility as the older brother to protect Kotowari, and Kotowari took his own role as the younger brother to love and support Sogyo. It was an easy enough relationship, and besides that they did almost everything the same way. Sometimes, they said the same thing at the same time, and sometimes they even finished each other's sentences. They looked the same, they thought the same, they were the same.

"What about Juu-chan? Wouldn't you want to save Juu-chan?" Kotowari pointed out.

Sogyo rolled his eyes. "Well of _course_ I would want to save Juu-chan- he's been really nice to us. But you're my brother, Koto-chan, and I'll always put you first. That's what older brothers do, right?"

"You're not _that_ much older than me, Sogy-chan. Only by what, one second?"

"Five seconds," Sogyo corrected. "'Cause Juu-chan had problems being born, 'cause he's got that sickness, tuber… whatever."

"Tuberculosis, get it right." Kotowari teased.

"Whatever," Sogyo repeated.

The two stood up and stretched, yawning as they did so. The soft sand of their world served as a good place to sleep, and it never got too cold or too warm. They _were_ the Pisces after all, the twin fish. The water was always perfect for them; they controlled they very seas and lightning itself.

"So what should we do today?" Kotowari asked.

Sogyo shrugged. "Maybe Juu-chan will come. If he does, he might bring more of that delicious candy."

"Oh yeah, that stuff was _great_! He said that he always had lots 'cause he always tries to give it to that Shiro-chan, but Shiro-chan never accepts it. I can't imagine why, though. I mean, who doesn't like candy?"

"I dunno." Sogyo replied. Then he said, "Wanna play tag?"

"Sure!"

And that was how they spent most of their days. Sleep, wake up, talk, get up, hope that Jushiro would visit them that day, and then play for six hours straight. It really wasn't like they had anything else to do. They were two small spirits in the large vast ocean that was Jushiro's inner world. Plus, there weren't even any other animals in the ocean, so that made things twice as boring. Once in a while, the two would get tired of doing the same thing over and over again, but then they'd get over it and play hide-and-seek or something along those lines. As captain of the Thirteenth Division, and one of the oldest captains in Sereitei, Jushiro rarely had to go on any serious battle missions, and as a result he rarely used to zanpakuto. Sogyo and Kotowari longed for some excitement, to finally be released and wielded by their Shinigami equivalent. But how often did that happen?

Kotowari laughed as he chased after his brother, and Sogyo laughed as well. Tag was one of their favorite games, mainly because there was never any winner, so they didn't have to fight over it. Sogyo ran around a large boulder three times and almost tripped on his fourth time. His brother paused, watching to see if he needed help, but Sogyo just laughed and dashed behind some coral, quickly followed by Kotowari. It was expected that they would soon appear again from behind the coral, but what they saw made them skid to a stop and stare.

The man, who had to be at least twice as tall as they, stared back at them. His red eyes were narrow, and seemed almost to be the only splash of color on his pale skin. His dark hair was a mess on his head, and clashed with the white fur collar his thick coat bore. Both hands were in his pockets, and his emotionless face was beginning to scare the two brothers, but they glared back defiantly. The three of them watched each other for a few moments, the tall man's red gaze against the twins' bright green.

Finally, the man said, "Please, don't let me interrupt your game. Carry on; I can wait."

The two shot him a disbelieving glance. _Yeah right. How stupid do you think we are?_

"So who are you?" Sogyo asked in a roundabout way. Juu-chan always _did_ say to be polite to people, until they proved otherwise, that is. He didn't wait for an answer, he simply went on to say, "My name's Sogy-chan, and that's my brother Koto-chan. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you." Kotowari echoed, wondering if he should smile or not.

The man blinked. Not a quick and fast blink, like normal people did, but a really slow blink that, to the brothers, seemed to take a year to complete. "My name is Muramasa. It is an honor to meet the other of the two dual zanpakuto."

"The other?" Sogyo repeated.

"Oh, so you already met Katen Kyokotsu, huh?" Kotowari said cheerfully, having decided to put on a smile to the man.

"Yes. And she agreed to take up my offer, the same one that I am about to ask you two. Mind you, seven zanpakuto before you two have listened to me, and have all joined me. It would be smart for you to, as well."

"What's the offer?" The twins asked at the same time.

The man opened his mouth, and then closed it. He blinked again, again agonizingly slowly, and then actually looked somewhat thoughtful. Finally, he said, "You two are still so young. I wonder if I am right to be asking you this." Then he shook his head. "Never mind.; you two, although children, are no doubt strong."

"Could you please just tell us?" Kotowari interrupted.

"What would you say about joining my army, my army of zanpakuto? Lately, I have realized how mistreated the zanpakuto are, by the Shinigami themselves. And that is why I am beginning a rebellion against them. Together, us zanpakuto can take over them, and rule over them as they currently do to us. Already, many powerful zanpakuto have agreed to come with me. The prettiest zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki; the black demon, Kazeshini; the death-in-two-hits specialty, Suzumebachi; the miserable man, Wabisuke; the innocent girl, Tobiume; and the other dual zanpakuto, Katen Kyokotsu. With that sort of army, there is no way we can lose."

Sogyo narrowed his eyes in deep thought, and then glanced back up at the man. "You said there were seven others, but you only named six. Who's the last one?"

"Haineko, but I honestly couldn't think of what was special about her." The man replied.

"Hey, what's your name?" Kotowari asked randomly.

"Muramasa," The man replied. "And, if I may say so, I would appreciate it if you both joined."

"Of course you would. You're some crazy psychopath who's intent on taking over the world- of course you would want every ally you could get." Sogyo snapped.

"Hey, Sogy-chan? I was wondering… why do you think all the bad guys always want to take over the world? I mean, in every story, the bad guys' main goal is always to rule the planet. Why can't it ever be something else?"

"You know, Koto-chan, I really have no clue. I think it's just to make the story more exciting or something like that, but you're right. It would be better if they could make something more original."

"Oh yeah, good point."

"In all honesty," Muramasa interrupted. "I am not trying to rule the world- only Sereitei. The rest of Soul Society can do whatever they please; all I'm trying to do is reign over the Shinigami."

"I'm sorry," The twin said at the same time.

"But we don't have any intention of going against Juu-chan," Sogyo began.

"So could you maybe please leave?" Kotowari finished.

They half-expected Muramasa to snarl out in frustration and anger, and to demand that they join right away. They half-expected him to frown, mutter a few words, and then attack. What they didn't expect him to do, was to stare, nod, and then offer a piece of candy.

"I simply assumed that your wielder would not be visiting you today, so I took the courtesy to snag a few pieces of sweets." Muramasa said, digging into his pockets and then revealing two pieces of lemon-flavored candy.

Kotowari cocked his head to one side in confusion. "Uh…? Come again?"

"Do you think we can be bribed with two pieces of candy?" Sogyo demanded.

"Please, I'm not trying to bribe you. I just assumed that because you two are young, you might enjoy candy. Was I wrong?"

"No," Kotowari said. "We like candy. We're just a bit worried that you drugged them or something."

Muramasa looked insulted. "What in the world would I have to gain by drugging two young children?" His gaze softened, and his voice became gentle as he continued, "Sogyo no Kotowari, all I want is to get revenge on the Shinigami for the wrongs they have done to us zanpakuto, and I would very much like it if you would join us. I can assure you, this is not a decision you will regret. There is another zanpakuto your age; I think you could make good friends with her."

Now it was the twins' turn to looked insulted. Or, rather, horrified.

"How _old_ do you think we are?" Sogyo said.

"Juu-chan said we couldn't meet girls 'till we were sixteen. Or at least looking like it." Kotowari added.

"And, yes, we do know that our spirits cannot age visibly." Sogyo finished.

Muramasa looked from one twin to another. Sogyo, Kotowari, Sogyo, Kotowari, Sogyo, Kotowari… and then his gaze rested on Sogyo. "May I talk to you for a few moments?" He nodded when the boy pointed at himself questioningly. "Yes, you. Sogyo, is it?"

"Sogy-chan," Both twins said automatically.

"Pardon me. But may I speak with you?"

Sogyo hesitated, shared a glance with his brother, and then shrugged. "Sure, I guess so."

Muramasa turned and walked away, gesturing for Sogyo to follow. When they had gone a fair distance away, he stopped and looked at the boy. "If you do not join, then that means you will stay and fight with your wielder, is that correct?"

The older twin nodded. "Even when you and your zanpakuto army attack, Koto-chan and I will never leave Juu-chan. You can count on that."

"So I see. Your loyalty to your brother and master is… certainly unbreakable, isn't it?" Muramasa leaned forward, until he was face-to-face with Sogyo. "But… you do realize that if you and your brother stay with him, there is an even larger chance that your wielder will be injured. Or maybe, even Koto-chan could get hurt."

Sogyo's eyes widened, first with surprise, and then with rage. "You're trying to get me to join just to protect-."

"Isn't that what you want? To keep Koto-chan safe? I have gathered all the strongest zanpakuto, and I am certainly going to go offer to more. With all the spirits against you, there is almost no chance that the two of you and Jushiro will survive. But, if you two join, then attack against Jushiro Ukitake will be prevented. I will make it a rule that the only zanpakuto who can attack a wielder, must be the wielder's zanpakuto. That way, the only way he can be harmed is if you two choose to attack him." Muramasa had a triumphant look on his face. "So what do you say, Sogy-chan?"

"I cannot believe you'd use my love for my brother against me," Sogyo hissed furiously. His tone held the maturity of a grown man.

"So which would be rather prefer? The possibility of the two people you love most in the world dying, or joining me?"

Sogyo glared daggers at him, wishing with all his heart that looks really could kill. Finally, he whirled around and stormed away to his brother. As Muramasa watched, he saw Sogyo whisper something furiously to Kotowari, and Kotowari replied with a shrug and said something in return. Sogyo looked enraged and said something heatedly, to which Kotowari replied with a few words and then a hug. When he released his brother and spoke to him in a low voice, and then Sogyo nodded.

The two turned to look at him, and then eventually walked over.

"Have you made up your mind?" Muramasa asked.

Kotowari nodded. "Yeah. We'll go with you."

Muramasa smiled. "I'm glad you decided to agree."

"After you threatened us." Sogyo muttered angrily.

Without warning, Muramasa lashed out both hands and touched the twins' heads. Their green eyes widened as the world around them began to spin and whirl. Kotowari stumbled briefly, and Sogyo reached out to grab him. Something, maybe guilt, pricked at Muramasa. Had he been too harsh to threaten Kotowari's well-being? They were, after all, only kids.

He gently placed his hands on their heads and said, in a voice he normally only used to Tobiume, "Don't worry. We're almost there."

Kotowari gave him what seemed like a grateful glance, but Sogyo shrugged him away with a furious look.

Finally, they reached the cavern, and Kotowari breathed a shaky sigh of relief.

Muramasa nodded to them, and then gestured to the stairs. "Follow me. The other zanpakuto are downstairs."

The twins looked at him, and then, without a word, followed him down the stairs. As Kotowari caught sight of what it was like, he let out a cry of delight and nudged his brother, instantly beginning to run down the stairs. Sogyo let out a grumble, but once he saw what the hideout was like, he also ended up running.

Muramasa watched them in amusement, almost letting out a soft chuckle when they crashed into Haineko, and the cat-human hybrid let out a hiss of annoyance.

"Wow!" Kotowari exclaimed. "Who are you?"

Haineko's irritated look was quickly replaced by one of interest. "You guys must be Sogyo no Kotowari! I'm Haineko, it's great that you guys decided to come. So how do you two go by?"

"I'm Sogy-chan," The older twin seemed to be feeling much more happier as opposed to three minutes ago. "And that's my brother, Koto-chan."

"Oh my God, your little nicknames are so cute!" Haineko purred.

"Two more midgets, huh?" A long-haired dark devil. "You guys look around the same age as Tobiume. Hey, what do you think about-?"

"Please ignore Kazeshini. He is more on the… wild side." A beautiful white-robed lady approached them. "My name is Sode no Shirayuki."

"Hi!" Both twins chirped.

Suddenly, Sogyo called out, "Koto-chan! Look at that glowing thing- it looks so cool."

"Thank you." The 'glowing thing' zipped in front of their faces with a grin. "Hi. My name's Suzumebachi."

"Wow, she's a zanpakuto, too." Kotowari said in amazement.

Suzumebachi laughed. "Of course I am." Then she pointed at two other people, one incredibly skinny man and a purple-haired lady. "You see those two? That's Wabisuke and Katen Kyokotsu. Don't expect much of a welcome from them- they're actually kinda shy."

"Oh, so _you're_ Katen Kyokotsu." Sogyo bounced up to her.

"Juu-chan told us so much about you." Kotowari added.

"Hi," Katen Kyokotsu replied dully. "I've heard of you from Shunsui."

Suzumebachi flew between the twins and whispered to them, "Told you she was shy." Then her face lit up and she called out, "Hey, Tobiume! Wanna check out the new guys?"

"Tobiume?" The twins turned around. Tobiume must be the zanpakuto around their age.

"Greetings," The girl said to them as she approached. "Sogy-chan. Koto-chan."

"Wow… she's cute." Sogyo whispered to his brother.

"Geez, Sogy-chan, you can't fall in love with her."

"I'm not!"

Tobiume watched their whispered argument with faint amusement, and giggled softly. "You two look quite nice. I hope we can become friends."

The other zanpakuto either had on looks of 'aww, how adorable' or 'this is disgusting and will definitely end horribly'. And then they remembered Muramasa, and their gazes instantly turned to him. He was watching the three, although his expression was unreadable. Finally, he turned around and stated that he had to go and speak to another zanpakuto, "It's time I spoke to the armored warrior, Senbonzakura."

And with that said, he climbed up, and left with a loud cracking noise.

Tobiume glanced at the empty staircase, and then looked back at the twins, smiling gently.

Sogyo and Kotowari grinned back. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all.


	9. Senbonzakura

_Chapter 9: Senbonzakura_

It was evening. It was always evening in his world. The moon was full and bright, just like always. He enjoyed looking at the full moon. It put him to peace, and helped him relax. A cool night breeze flew in, and gently rustled the cherry blossom trees he was proud to call his own. The wind loosened a petal, and it drifted slowly to the ground, landing softly on the dirt, right in front of a metal shoe. The fully-armed samurai stared down at the petal for a few moments, and then ignored it as he walked right past it. He approached the tree that had lost the flower petal, and inspected it closely. When he was finally convinced that there was nothing wrong with it, he carried on to all the other trees, carefully making sure that each one was in its healthiest and happiest.

Finally satisfied that all his trees were in the best shape they could be in, the samurai walked all the way to the back of his small but pleasant world, and he knelt down, facing the trees. He placed his hands on his lap, and simply sat there, as though waiting for something. He enjoyed this time; every twelve hours he would check his trees to make sure they were healthy, and then he would kneel down to admire the beauty of them. Every other twelve hours, once he'd finished his inspection, he would kneel down and fall asleep. He had a very good sense of time- he was, after all, the zanpakuto of a noble. A proud noble, at that.

Byakuya Kuchiki, head of the Kuchiki Clan. Otherwise known as the captain of the Sixth Division. He was a skilled fighter, and always had a calm exterior, even in the most dangerous of times, along with the fact that he'd practically never lost a fight as captain, ignoring the time with the boy, Ichigo Kurosaki. Senbonzakura knew that he should feel honored to be the zanpakuto of such an accomplished man. Of course, however, who was the one doing all the fighting? Byakuya, or him? Although Senbonzakura did have to hand it to him, Byakuya was excellent at Kido, the captain had never won any battles with only Kido alone. It was always Senbonzakura.

Senbonzakura knew that such thoughts shouldn't be running through his mind. He was a zanpakuto, and a zanpakuto's first loyalty was always to his wielder. For the most part, he really did like Byakuya. He had mourned the death of Byakuya's wife with his master, and had fought alongside Byakuya against the Substitute Shinigami and that wretched Zangetsu. He had helped defend Rukia against the three traitor captains, and had battled the Seventh Espada when the foul Hollow had dared to attack Rukia and Sode no Shirayuki. The poor snow zanpakuto hadn't stood a chance, after tiring herself against the Ninth Espada. Senbonzakura considered Byakuya a friend, and a good friend at that. He was just unsure of how Byakuya felt of him.

He was fairly certain that the noble only thought of him as a zanpakuto, nothing more than a weapon. But that was okay with him; most other Shinigami thought that as well. However, there were a few zanpakuto who seemed to have become friends with their wielder. Senbonzakura had witnessed a handful of Shinigami worrying over their zanpakuto if they thought there was something wrong. Rukia Kuchiki and Toshiro Hitsugaya were among them, the masters of Sode no Shirayuki and Hyorinmaru respectively. They were the lucky ones, of course.

Some Shinigami went as far as to disrespect their zanpakuto. A well-known example was Shuuhei Hisagi, wielder of Kazeshini. Those Shinigami completely ignored their zanpakuto, and rarely even used them. But the number of that sort was only in the single-digits, as a Shinigami's main weapon is their released zanpakuto. How Hisagi had even gotten a rank, let alone become lieutenant, was beyond Senbonzakura. How could the man fight if he never released his weapon?

And, of course, there were the Shinigami who had a neutral respect towards their zanpakuto. Byakuya Kuchiki was one, as were most of the other Shinigami. They released their zanpakuto multiple times, and though they never went out of their way for their zanpakuto's safety, they had a well-enough acquaintanceship. Of course their zanpakuto mattered to them- without their zanpakuto, they would have nothing to fight with- but if they didn't very much care if they somehow hurt their weapons' feelings. And it was for that reason that most other zanpakuto never felt very much compassion for their wielders. Loyalty was a given, but rarely compassion.

"All beings long for compassion," Senbonzakura recited. "Everyone, and everything, needs a friend. Animals mate, and humans marry. Every Adam must have an Eve, for that is why God created two, a man and a woman."

"Then I can only imagine the abandonment and loneliness you must be feeling right now." A man's voice cut through his thoughts.

Senbonzakura blinked twice, and realized that, without he even realizing it, a man had entered his world. This man was tall, about the same height as Senbonzakura, and had messy black hair. He wore a long coat that covered his entire body, and had a large fur collar surrounding his neck. His red eyes were narrow, and he looked as though he hadn't slept for at least two days. Shadows surrounded his eyes, although Senbonzakura was unsure if this was because of his lack of sleep, or if he had put them there himself.

"Greetings," Senbonzakura said. There was no point in being hostile; if the man was tired, he probably posed no threat. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually, there is." The man replied. "But first, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Muramasa, and I am a zanpakuto."

Senbonzakura blinked under his mask, and then nodded in return. "I am Senbonzakura, and I am also a zanpakuto. Now, what is it that you need help with?"

"Let me ask you: do you feel that your wielder has neglected you? You just said so yourself that you felt little to no compassion for him. A partnership can only continue if both sides are pleased with the other, but clearly you are not happy with him, and he only treats you as what he sees you as- a weapon." Muramasa spoke slowly, another sure sign that he was not getting a healthy amount of sleep.

Senbonzakura cocked his head to one side, like a sparrow. "What you say is true, a partnership cannot survive without each side managing to make the other happy. But that does not mean that I am not pleased with Byakuya. He is a fine and strong man, and I am proud to be his zanpakuto."

"Of course, there is no doubt that he is powerful. I have seen him win half the battle with only the use of Kido, and that is surely formidable. But… I've never come across a time when he has had complete victory without you, Senbonzakura."

"Every Shinigami uses their zanpakuto in a fight; it's only natural. It tells their opponent who they are, and sometimes the very sight of a Shikai can scare the enemy away, thus avoiding the battle altogether."

"Only extreme cowards would flee at the mere sight of a released zanpakuto," Muramasa scoffed. "And in Soul Society, there are very few cowards at that level. However, I fear we are straying from my main point."

"And what, pray, is your main point? All you have told me is that most wielders were neglect their zanpakuto."

Muramasa nodded, as if satisfied. "Exactly. The Shinigami have ruled over us for too long. They ignore us when we speak, and only use us as fighting material. And it has become my goal to stop them. Us zanpakuto have feelings and emotions just like them; we laugh and we cry, we're happy or we're sad, but do they acknowledge such things? I should think not. They have forgotten what we truly are, and only think of us as plain _swords_. They forget that sometimes, we don't want to obey them. They are oblivious to the fact that if they continue mistreating us, we just might oppose to them. And that is what I want to do. I am gathering all the zanpakuto, and together we make an army. And as an army, we can attack and conquer the Shinigami. No longer will they see us as their possessions, for _we_ will be the masters. _We_ will rise above them, and _we_ will rule Sereitei."

A sharp stab of shock pierced at Senbonzakura as he heard the man's words. To speak of such foolishness… but he forced his voice to stay calm and low as he said, "That was truly an admirable speech. I doubt even the Captain Commander could have come up with one like that. Your offer certainly sounds very interesting, but I'm afraid I will have to decline."

Muramasa sighed. "Yes, that is actually what nearly every other zanpakuto I have previously spoken to have said. They refuse, at first. But eventually, after a little provocation… they join."

"Such provocations are not violent, I hope?" Senbonzakura said. "For you see, though I consider myself an excellent fighter, I would hate to battle here in my world. I fear for the safety of my cherry blossoms."

"There is no need to worry- I do not see violence as a very good way to convince others to join. What I have done to the others… well, I simply remind them of the wrongs their Shinigami have done to them. That is all. And once they themselves have realized it, they join. It's really quite simple."

"Perhaps," Senbonzakura agreed. This man was certainly cleverer then he came across as. "But I can assure you that Byakuya has done nothing wrong or harmful to me."

"Ah yes, many other zanpakuto have told me that as well." Muramasa replied.

Senbonzakura couldn't help but feel a slight prickle of unease. This man was talking of ruling over the Shinigami, who had walked across Soul Society for as long as anyone could remember, and he seemed as casual as though he were simply here for an afternoon chat. But he simply said, "Very well then. Tell me what you have to say, Muramasa. Convince me."

Muramasa looked pleased that Senbonzakura was willing to listen to him, and nodded before speaking. "There is no doubt that Byakuya is one of the more powerful Shinigami. But he is arrogant and proud. He believes he can defeat anyone who comes across him, and though he may seem calm he is truly… as they say… high-and-mighty. He thought he could beat the Substitute Shinigami, but in the end… did he?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki was stronger than we anticipated. We were caught off-guard." Senbonzakura protested.

"But you shouldn't have been." Muramasa replied. "A Shinigami at his level should never have underestimated his opponent."

"Would you have expected a Shinigami fraud to have such determination, and to have learned Bankai in the course of three days?" Senbonzakura demanded. "I shall not it here and listen to you insult my wielder."

Muramasa narrowed his eyes, but shrugged and said, "My apologies. Now then, as I was saying, aren't you a little disturbed that Byakuya is so… cocky?"

"He is _not_ cocky, or arrogant, or proud. He has a steady loyalty to Sereitei, and an even stronger one to his sister. Did you fail to see when he took Shinso's attack towards Rukia for himself? He protected her with his body."

"How dramatic." Muramasa replied coolly. "I can see you have a strong sense of loyalty. Loyalty is an excellent quality, unless it is complied incorrectly. Blind loyalty is not something I approve of, and that is exactly what almost every zanpakuto give to their wielders. Blindly following their master's every order… it's disgraceful. Don't be like them, Senbonzakura. You admitted that you respect Byakuya, but I have not yet heard from you that you consider him a friend."

Behind his frowning mask, Senbonzakura narrowed his eyes. This man reminded him of the sly foxes that prowl among fairy tales, cleverly tricking the hero or heroine. Muramasa was using every bit of said or unsaid evidence that the zanpakuto should turn against their respective wielders. Although the man impressed him, he felt a slight unease around him.

"Just tell me that Byakuya Kuchiki is your friend, and I will leave." Muramasa said.

The answer should have slipped out of his mouth easily, so when it didn't, Senbonzakura cursed himself. He wanted this man out, and it disturbed him when he found that he had actually felt himself taking a slight liking to him. He liked the man's quick and constantly-thinking mind, and his calm voice that rarely changed tone. But he didn't like the ambitious attitude Muramasa had, and that was why he wanted him out. However, Senbonzakura frowned upon dishonesty, and it was hardly ideal that he began now. He couldn't simply blurt out that he considered Byakuya his best friend in the entire world.

_Do what you believe is right._

"I will not lie. I do not see my wielder as a friend. A partner, at most, but never a friend." Senbonzakura stood up, having already made his decision. "Byakuya Kuchiki can never be my friend."

Muramasa smiled grimly. "So I can assume this means…?"

Senbonzakura nodded in confirmation. "Now then, how do we get out of here?"

The man approached him, placing each foot in front of the other slowly, until he came within an arm's reach of Senbonzakura. He outstretched his hand, and lightly tapped the zanpakuto's mask. Almost immediately, a dizzying feeling came across him. Through the slits in his mask that his eyes saw out of, there was only a white light. The ground rushed beneath his feet, so quickly he thought it was a wonder that he didn't lose his balance and fall over. Until, finally, it slowed to a stop, and the light faded to a dark brown color.

"We're here," Muramasa declared, his voice little more than a whisper.

Senbonzakura shook his head wildly to clear it of the fuzziness he felt. When he was finished, he glanced around to examine his surroundings. He was in a dark cave, so there was little to see, except for a staircase nearby.

Muramasa gestured to the stairs with a wave of his hand. "Please, go down. But do be quiet, it's late, and the others are probably asleep. I wouldn't like you to awaken them."

"And what about you?" Senbonzakura asked.

"Well, I was planning on invading the Shinigami by the end of this week, so now I must go visit and convince another zanpakuto to join. This time I was planning on meeting the king of the ice, Hyorinmaru."

"Hyorinmaru…?" Senbonzakura repeated. Of course, everyone had heard of the legendary dragon. His wielder, Toshiro Hitsugaya, was not only the youngest captain in the history of Soul Society, but also one of the kindest, if not collected.

"Yes, him. And because Hitsugaya has been so extraordinarily _kind_ to him," Muramasa spat out the word 'kind' as though it were an insult, "He might be a bit… reluctant." He then shook his head, and continued calmly, "Now then, please go down and rest. You can meet the other zanpakuto in the morning."

Senbonzakura nodded in agreement, and Muramasa lifted a hand in farewell, and then disappeared with a loud crack. The samurai decided to disregard the fact that the man could vanish just like that, and then made his way down the stairs.

When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he glanced around at the large room. Scattered all around were the figures of sleeping zanpakuto. Among the high cliffs that brushed the top of the ceiling were two zanpakuto, a demon-shaped one and a man beside two heavy-looking objects. Curled up on a rock was a cat-human hybrid, and at the bottom of the rock slept a dimly glowing fairy. Slumped up against the wall was a tall woman with a large headdress, and, a fair distance away, was another lady, who seemed to be giving off a faint white shimmer. Next to her was a young girl, lying on the ground, fast asleep. It was obvious from her position that she had been leaning on someone, but that someone had left.

Senbonzakura studied them all for a few moments, and then turned to sit against the wall beside the staircase. He sat cross-legged, back flat against the rock wall and arms on his knees. He felt rather tired, but he had an odd feeling that told him to stay awake.

As he watched on, he saw two young boys run up to the tall lady with the headdress, their silver hair giving off a radiant glow, and their green eyes gleaming in the darkness. Speaking quietly, they prodded and poked the lady, whispering at her to wake up.

"Ne, Katen-chan. Wake up."

"Please? We're really bored, and we want to play."

They continued such words and pokes until the lady finally stirred. She moaned quietly, and blinked multiple times. Senbonzakura realized that she had only one eye, and the other was covered with an eye patch.

She glanced around, looking momentarily confused, but when she caught sight of the twins she looked furious.

"What do you two want?" She hissed angrily. "I am trying to _sleep_, something that you might want to try sometime."

"But Katen-chan…" One of the boy began.

"We _can't_ sleep." The other finished.

The lady looked over to the young girl, and Senbonzakura realized that it was the twins the girl had been leaning upon. "So you left Tobiume on the ground like that, huh?"

"Well, we didn't want to wake her." The first boy said.

"She looked like she was having a real good sleep." The second added.

The lady's eye narrowed. "Oh yeah? So you decided to wake _me_ up instead?"

"We wanted to play with you."

"We know you're really nice, Katen-chan. But why don't you talk with the others?"

"Yeah, the others are really nice, too. Like… Haineko's really funny, and Sode no Shirayuki always gives us a lot of smiles. And… and… Wabisuke listens really well, he says we're really good storytellers. And…"

"And Kazeshini tells us all these awesome war stories! Suzumebachi plays with us a lot, and Tobiume… Tobiume's so sweet."

"And cute. But that does _not_ mean I'm in love with her." The first boy added hastily with a quick glance at his brother, who shrugged with a teasing grin.

The lady grumbled, obviously not particularly interested in the twins' opinions on all the other zanpakuto. "Whatever. I want to sleep, thanks, so kindly go back to your sweet and cute Tobiume and wake _her_ up to play with you."

The boys hesitated, and then huddled together in not-so-quiet whispered discussion.

"Sogy-chan, what should we do? She really wants to sleep."

"Well then, Koto-chan, there's only one thing we can do."

They turned back to the lady, and said, "Can we sleep next to you?"

The lady looked more than disgusted. "Absolutely not!"

"Well, since you don't want to sleep, then I bet you want to play with us." The boys said in unison.

Their target of bothering scowled angrily at them, but grumbled reluctantly, "Fine. But at least _half a foot away_."

The twins didn't seem too bothered by her annoyed tone, judging from their cry of "Yay!" and then immediately snuggled against her. The lady opened her mouth to object, but the boys seemed to have instantly fallen asleep. Apparently deciding to ignore it, she shrugged it off and closed her eyes, thus falling asleep herself.

Behind his mask, Senbonzakura had an amused look. He certainly hadn't missed the soft smile the lady had given the twins before settling it for the night. He himself closed his eyes, prepared for sleep.

The next morning, he would meet all the other zanpakuto, and he would have to be well-rested for that.


	10. Hyorinmaru

_Chapter 10: Hyorinmaru_

As he watched the snow swirl outside his mountain cave, he felt a cold feeling of dread. Someone, or something, had entered his world without his permission. And this something was powerful. Extremely powerful. But the blizzard was raging like it never had before- no sane creature would dare to climb up the highest mountain in the middle of a storm just to speak with one zanpakuto. Of course, he reminded himself, there were often a few insane people living in Soul Society. But still, if this creature had managed to get within his world, that might mean it wanted to harm Hitsugaya. He bristled at the very thought of it. An unknown force… trying to harm Hitsugaya! He wouldn't allow it- he would never allow it.

He growled dangerously, his wings furling out so far that the tips scraped the sides of his cave. He would protect the hatchling no matter what the cost. Hitsugaya was his master, and the dragon would always serve his master. But the boy was still young, and still had much to learn. He raised and taught his master through the hard times in life, and in return, Hitsugaya cared for him as no other Shinigami cared for their zanpakuto. Hyorinmaru knew how lucky he was, and he was grateful to his master for it.

Hyorinmaru took his job as a zanpakuto, a guardian, very seriously. He would make sure that _no man_ hurt Hitsugaya. He followed his master's every command, trusting the boy's intellect to the utmost. But there were times when he failed.

The great dragon tensed as he recalled the painful memory. He and his master had rushed to save Tobiume and her wielder, who also happened to be Hitsugaya's childhood friend. Anyone who harmed someone close to Hitsugaya would perish, and Hyorinmaru would make sure of that. When they had arrived, however, they had been too late. Momo Hinamori lay on the ground, blood splattered across her chest. Tobiume was barely clinging to consciousness, and it was all Hyorinmaru could do to ease the young zanpakuto. He had told her that all would be okay, and he had seen her relief. But then… that traitorous Kyoka Suigetsu!

Hyorinmaru let out a bellowing roar as he remembered that no-good zanpakuto. He, and that Aizen man, had tricked the entire Soul Society. Hitsugaya had been angry, and so was Hyorinmaru. He had obeyed his master's call for a Bankai, and became the boy's wings. Hitsugaya had rushed at Aizen and impaled him, but Hyorinmaru had realized instantly that it was a fake. He had screeched to warn Hitsugaya, but it had been far too late. His master, _his master_, had fallen. He had failed as a zanpakuto. He had felt his master's pain as blood sprayed out of him, and he had known when Hitsugaya had fallen unconscious. They were beaten. He had failed to protect his master, the poor young captain.

He remembered seeing the horror and pain in Tobiume's eyes, and another pang of guilt stabbed at him. He had told her they would win, but they hadn't. He saw all the hope disappear from her, and he realized that he was feeling hopeless as well. Now, Aizen would come over and finish off his master, and they would both cease to exist.

But then, the most wonderful miracle had happened upon them. The captain and lieutenant of the Fourth Division had arrived, and chased away Aizen and his fellow traitor, Gin. It was one of the best things Hyorinmaru could have asked for. They could take care of his young master, and they would take care of Tobiume and Momo as well. What better thing could have come out of it?

But even so, although Hitsugaya had survived, that had been one of the largest failures in Hyorinmaru's life. He had been too weak to protect him, and it had almost led to his master's demise. That alone was unforgivable for a zanpakuto. As a weapon, Hyorinmaru was supposed to prevent any harm from befalling his wielder, and to let his guard down while fighting a dangerous enemy… that broke every law that the zanpakuto were bound to. It was unforgivable, and that was that.

Hyorinmaru shut his eyes tightly, trying to forget that incident had ever happened. His tail thrashed about wildly, slamming into the walls of the cave and sending a few pebbles falling from the ceiling. He didn't want to remember, but forgetting it was more than unlikely. It was impossible. That very same memory of the three captains' betrayal was embedded in every Shinigami and zanpakuto's mind, and it wasn't very likely that any of them had forgotten it yet.

Just then, a horrible thought crossed his mind. What if it was Kyoka Suigetsu who had forced his way into his world? Hitsugaya would never have allowed it, but what if Kyoka Suigetsu had hypnotized him with his powers? And now, the traitor zanpakuto was making his way here, into his cave, to attack him. Hyorinmaru reared up and snorted. There was no way Kyoka Suigetsu could hurt him! He was in his natural element here, and he fought best during a blizzard, which was exactly what was happening right outside of his cave. And even more so, if Kyoka Suigetsu had hurt his young master in any way, Hyorinmaru would kill him personally. No need to kill him politely- just rip your claws into him, and sink your teeth into his neck. Hyorinmaru felt water gush to his mouth as his imagination took over; he could almost taste the zanpakuto's blood flooding down his throat. The salty, metallic taste that he usually hated so much. But he wouldn't mind it if it was Kyoka Suigetsu's.

Hyorinmaru narrowed his eyes, and blew out an icy breath. He saw a figure approaching his cave, despite the harsh snowstorm whirling around it, and he was in all honesty hoping that it was Kyoka Suigetsu, just so he could claw out his heart. However, the man who entered his cave and shook out the snow that had nestled in his hair was not Kyoka Suigetsu. In fact, despite Hyorinmaru's vast knowledge of most other zanpakuto, he had no idea who this stranger was. The man was tall, and his expression was anything but fearful. His thick coat was covered in snow, although Hyorinmaru was quite sure that the man's head wasn't cold, considering the bushy fur collar that surrounded his neck. But the blank expression the man bore when facing a giant ice dragon wasn't the only part of him that made Hyorinmaru wary; the long fingernails he had reminded the zanpakuto of very long, very sharp claws.

Hyorinmaru eyed the man suspiciously, uncoiling himself and rearing up like a cobra. He hissed a warning, and then snarled, hoping to chase the man away. He was in no mood for uninvited guests. But the man gave no indication that he had noticed the dragon's obvious attempts at getting him away. A low growl came from Hyorinmaru's throat, the sound enough to scare away even the most ferocious of beasts. But, apparently, not the man.

"Greetings," The man said once the ice zanpakuto had finished. "My name is Muramasa, and I must say… it was quite the journey trying to get up here."

_**So why did you try?**_ Hyorinmaru asked in a series of grunts and growls.

"Because I needed to talk to you," Muramasa replied. "You are the strongest ice zanpakuto in history, and I needed you in my army."

_**Army?**_ Hyorinmaru was so confused by that one word, that he forgot about wondering how the man could understand him.

Muramasa nodded. "Yes. You see, I am building an army of zanpakuto to rebel against the Shinigami and their cruel ways. Have you never felt neglected by your wielder? Most other zanpakuto have, and all the previous ones I had visited had all joined."

_**You're trying to go against the Shinigami? **_Hyorinmaru snarled. _**That is pure foolishness.**_

This time, it took a while for the man to reply. His face was now a frown of concentration, and he murmured many quick words before finally saying, "Oh, yes, I have been told that before. But please, Hyorinmaru, hear me out. And, if you don't mind, could you please switch to your human form? Although I can speak a little dragon, I'm afraid I'm not entirely fluent in the language."

Hyorinmaru found himself taken aback. How did this strange man know that he had a human form? And where in the world did Muramasa learn how to speak the ancient language of dragons? Shaking it off, he decided to morph into his human form just for the sake of the conversation ending quicker. He began to shrink, and as he did so, his frozen skin became soft and human-colored. His snout shrunk back into his face becoming a flat human's, and his teeth lost their sharp gleam. Paws became hands and feet, and scales turned into magnificent blue robes. Long green hair flowed down, and an X-shaped scar topped it all off. Hyorinmaru looked down at himself; he didn't like his human form all too well, mainly because it had no claws and fangs, but it was acceptable.

"Now speak, Muramasa," He ordered, trying to adapt back into the human language. Why should he be the one to humiliate himself by attempting to speak with a foreign tongue?

Muramasa nodded. "I must say, I like your human form much better. Less… intimidating."

"Get on with it!" He barked. He was officially in a bad mood, and he had no intention on making this man's visit longer than necessary with idle talk.

"… of course. As I was saying, I feel as though the Shinigami have been mistreating their zanpakuto. We are the ones doing all the fighting for them, but when a particularly dangerous opponent is defeated, who are the ones getting all the credit? Certainly not us zanpakuto. It is the Shinigami who are rewarded so warmly, yet the real fighters receive nothing. So why continue to live in this shame? I know that Toshiro Hitsugaya is a respected captain, for one so young, and he certainly earned himself many titles. And what are you known as? Simply, Hyorinmaru. You shouldn't have to put up with such things. Join me, and we shall get the honor we deserve."

Hyorinmaru stared at him. What this man was suggesting was nothing less than stupidity. Deciding that he would not embarrass himself with messing up with human tongue, he simply took to shaking his head. No, he would not join.

"Hyorinmaru, I know that Hitsugaya has been a good master to you, but just think of the possibilities. You could be free. Don't all zanpakuto yearn to be free? And now I am giving you that chance." Muramasa urged.

Yes, zanpakuto did want to be free. Sometimes, Hyorinmaru wondered about it, as well. But joining this man would mean leaving his young master, and Hitsugaya still had much to learn. Again, he shook his head, and then gestured for Muramasa to leave.

Muramasa looked slightly irritated. "If you're going to refuse, you could at the very least say 'no'. That's the whole reason why I wanted you to switch to your human form. And as for your answer, I sincerely doubt that is the correct one. Freedom and revenge… those are the two things that caused all the previous zanpakuto I have questioned to come." Just then, a gleam caught in his eye, as though he had just realized something. "Including Tobiume."

Hyorinmaru widened his eyes. Tobiume? Momo's zanpakuto? That couldn't be, she was gentle, and sweet, and kind… how could she turn against her own wielder? And after everything he'd done for her, too. Did she even know what she was doing, joining this man? It could very well spell out her demise.

"Oh, yes. Your dear friend Tobiume decided to join me, because she felt neglected and mistreated from Momo. And I believe she has made very good friends with Jushiro's zanpakuto, Sogyo no Kotowari. And now, with this knowledge, do you still refuse?"

Hyorinmaru hesitated. He had absolutely no intention of leaving Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya was his master, and he would always stay loyal to him. But… what if Tobiume was confused? Too confused to know what she was doing, and that was why she joined? If that was the case, then he needed to protect her. Surely Hitsugaya would understand. Hyorinmaru knew that his wielder would have done the same should Momo be in the same position as Tobiume. Hitsugaya would understand, and Hyorinmaru knew it.

"Very well," Hyorinmaru coughed out with a glare at the man. "I will go with you. But let me make this clear: it is not because I am betraying my master."

Muramasa nodded in acknowledgement. "Of course not. Now then, we'd best get going."

He outstretched his hand, and motioned for Hyorinmaru to take it. The ice zanpakuto hesitated. Yes, he would join for Tobiume's sake, but what would happen if his master got injured during the rebellion? All because his supposedly loyal zanpakuto wasn't there to help. But then, he shook his head. Tobiume was younger, and needed help. Hitsugaya could surely wait. So Hyorinmaru shook his hand with Muramasa, and immediately, his wonderful frozen world disappeared. The ground beneath him seemed to shift a little, and a slight throbbing pulsed at his head, but it soon subsided, and the ground came a firm stop.

Hyorinmaru retreated his hand and lightly brushed it on his robe, trying not to look altogether rude. He glanced around, finding himself in a cave, and a dark one at that. To his discomfort, there was absolutely no ice, and compared to his world the cave was like summer. He shook his head; if he'd known it'd be this bad…

"Down the stairs," Muramasa said, standing by a staircase. "All the others are there. But I'm afraid I won't be joining you. I'll have to speak to the infamously obnoxious Ruri'iro Kujaku."

Hyorinmaru glared at him. "Please, take all the time you need." And without waiting for a reply, he walked briskly down the stairs and turned and faced all the other zanpakuto. It was certainly quite the arrangement. Judging by their appearances, it would seemed that Muramasa had gathered: Haineko, Sode no Shirayuki, Kazeshini, Suzumebachi, Wabisuke, Tobiume, Katen Kyokotsu, Sogyo no Kotowari, and Senbonzakura.

They all stared at each other for a few moments, and Hyorinmaru stared at Tobiume. Occasionally, his gaze would flicker to some of the other zanpakuto, and he was surprised to see Sogyo no Kotowari, who seemed to be two separate spirits, looking at him with a hard intensity. This was what Muramasa must have meant when he said that Tobiume had struck up a friendship with the two.

All the zanpakuto were silent for a moment, and then Tobiume stepped up and said in her soft voice, "Welcome, Hyorinmaru."

Hyorinmaru, though relieved to see that she seemed to be doing better than he'd expected, only nodded in return.

However, her small greeting had triggered all the other zanpakuto. Haineko ran up to him and began to purr, which he found quite impossible to do considering she looked more human than cat. Kazeshini laughed, said something about him not being quite what he'd expected, and then leapt away.

Sode no Shirayuki had smiled at him, and Hyorinmaru realized that she was another ice zanpakuto, so she must realize how terribly warm this cave was, but she gave no indication of it and simply turned away. Suzumebachi had approached him, and bluntly told him that he looked 'kinda cool'. He decided to take it as a compliment. Wabisuke had not said anything, nor Katen Kyokotsu, but Sogyo and Kotowari bounced up eagerly to him and introduced themselves as 'Sogy-chan' and 'Koto-chan'. But then, Katen Kyokotsu had called something to them, and they immediately scurried back to her. Finally, Senbonzakura came up to him, said a few blunt words as a greeting, and then walked away.

At least the zanpakuto didn't look as depressed as he thought they would.

And then, Hyorinmaru remembered the reason that he'd come here for, and turned to Tobiume. _Are you unhappy here?_

Tobiume was looking at him, an expression that could rival Muramasa's on her face. But then, she smiled. _No. _

Hyorinmaru stared at her, a slight prickle of disbelief coming over him. Then he shook his head; he trusted Tobiume's judgment. But from now on, she would be the one he protected. Not Hitsugaya.


	11. Ruri'iro Kujaku

_Chapter 11: Ruri'iro Kujaku_

The sun gleamed gloriously into his world, bouncing off the golden pillars and making them shine. Their radiant glow would have blinded anyone else, but he was used to it. Besides, it did bathe his world in a lovely light. Without which, he would be stumbling around in complete darkness, and nobody wanted that, now would they? His world was large, or at least, large enough for his liking. A golden floor, multiple beams stretching up to the heavens, and one large gold plate to catch the sunlight and reflect it down. In other words, he lived in a giant golden birdcage. And he liked it.

Ruri'iro Kujaku lifted his head and blinked a few times, the bright sunlight momentarily surprising him, before he stood up and shook it off. He raised his arms, and glanced at his ruffled feathers. Oh well, he'd have to preen them later. He had things to do this morning. He crouched down, getting ready, and then leapt into the air and began his morning flight. It was an excellent way to get some exercise in the morning, and also the only way in his big cage. He preferred not to think of it as a cage, though. A cage was an equivalent to a prison, and to think of his world as nothing more than a prison was just… wrong.

Once he was done flying, he landed with graceful ease and began preparing himself for the day. Quick and efficient, he braided his hair, and then wrapped his bandages around his head. He lightly touched the tuft of orange feathers on his head, and then declared himself beautiful for the day, before wincing and scolding himself for sounding so much like his wielder.

It disgusted Ruri'iro Kujaku to know how alike he was to that 'too-pretty-to-care' Shinigami. He cared about his looks almost as much as Yumichika did, however hard he tried not to. He got annoyed if someone ignored him, he saw the world in beautiful or ugly, he was almost exactly like his wielder, however much he despised it. After all, at least he didn't address Yumichika by a nickname. Ruri'iro Kujaku _hated_ that stupid color wisteria. Wisteria purple had to be the worst color in the world, and Yumichika taunted him by calling him the _wisteria peacock_. Azure was much better. Much better!

Yumichika Ayasegawa had to be the worst wielder in the history of worst wielders. That stupid Shinigami could at least treat his own zanpakuto with respect and not hide his true form, but no. He was too scared of how his division would handle him if he revealed Ruri'iro Kujaku was actually a Kido zanpakuto.

Ruri'iro Kujaku found himself sitting down, knees hugged to his chest, and sighed. Why was Yumichika ashamed of his zanpakuto? As much as he hated the Shinigami, the zanpakuto did a least feel a slight sliver of respect for him. It surprised him that he actually felt a little hurt that Yumichika hated him. He sighed again, but then found himself wondering… why was he even thinking about that guy? He became a fifth seat just because he didn't like how the kanji for the number four looked. It was ridiculous- who would turn down a higher rank just because the way it looked was ugly? At least Ruri'iro Kujaku didn't think that the way numbers were drawn was stupid.

Ruri'iro Kujaku tilted back his head, staring at the large golden plate that was the highest place in his world. He watched it for a few moments, and then murmured softly, "Sure, you mistreat me, taunt me, insult me, and all that stuff. But that's okay, Yumichika," Here, a slight smile began to creep onto his face, "'Cause I hate you, too."

Well, he wasn't about to compliment the idiot.

And then, he decided that he was being a pretty big loser to actually be sitting down thinking about his moron of a wielder. Laughing quietly at himself, he stood up, stretched his wings, and took to the air. Today he would beat his gliding record of ten minutes without flapping. Still bearing a small grin, he beat his wings a few times and finally took to the air, soaring along the small winds that drifted into his world. While he glided, he hummed to himself. He liked songs, and singing in general. He _was_ half bird, after all.

He had been in the air for a total of one-and-a-half hours, and he was in the middle of humming a particularly good song, when he heard a voice call out.

"Excuse me, Ruri'iro Kujaku," The voice said. "I understand that you are having much fun up there, but could you, perhaps, spare a few moments to allow me to talk to you?"

Ruri'iro Kujaku came to a halt, and glanced down irritably. First of all, who was this man and how had he gotten into his world? Second of all, why was he interrupting his gliding? He had just been on the verge of breaking his ten-minute record! And third of all… that man was a complete mess. Ruri'iro Kujaku couldn't help but think something that his wielder would definitely have thought of as well.

_He's so ugly._

Then he immediately cursed himself for thinking something so similar to Yumichika. He continued to stare down at the man, wondering what in the world he wanted, when he remembered that the man had already said what he wanted. Sighing, he flew down and landed without so much as a stumble.

"What?" Ruri'iro Kujaku demanded.

The man looked amused. "Well, I heard you speaking earlier, saying that you hated your wielder, and well… I was just thinking about how splendidly easy this was going to be. You see, usually, with all the other zanpakuto, it takes at least twenty minutes, maybe even thirty. But with you, I can see this will take no more than ten."

"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?" Ruri'iro Kujaku asked. "I don't speak idiot, although come to think of it, I might want to learn it; then, my wielder might be able to actually understand me."

The man nodded. "Yes, that's what I mean. You already hate your wielder, so I won't have to waste time trying to convince you to. Excuse me, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Muramasa, and you must be Ruri'iro Kujaku."

"Yeah, I am. And?"

"Well, I'm building an army of zanpakuto. To go against all of the Shinigami. Once I've finished my offering to all the zanpakuto belonging to the Shinigami, we will all attack them, and take over. That's the whole thing, in short." Muramasa replied, looking very pleased that the conversation would probably be one of the shortest ones he'd had yet.

The entire summary might have been blunt, but it certainly caught Ruri'iro Kujaku's attention. "Attack the Shinigami, eh? Including Yumichika?" Muramasa's nod absolutely made his day. "Wow! Really? That sounds so great, and I'm actually not being sarcastic."

"I'm glad the idea pleases you," Muramasa replied.

And then, an idea struck the zanpakuto. He paused, contemplating it, and then narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Hey, wait a minute. How do I know this isn't just some stupid joke? For all I know, you could be someone Yumichika hired to come in and get my hopes up and all, and then my stupid ass of a wielder will just laugh at me again."

Muramasa watched him for a moment, and then an expression that seemed almost sympathetic flashed across his face before disappearing into a blank expression. "I can see that your wielder has hurt you terribly, and I'm sorry for that. It must have been terrible to be so horribly neglected. But I can assure you, this is no trick. I would never be so cruel as to do that to a fellow zanpakuto. Come with me, Ruri'iro Kujaku, and we can take revenge on the Shinigami that has done you so much wrong."

"Oh, so you expect me to just join you even though I barely know you and then go over and attack Yumichika just for the heck of it? Well, not really just for the heck of it, but still!" Ruri'iro Kujaku glared at him, and then blinked. "Well, actually, I do kinda want to."

Muramasa looked somewhat amused. "Fascinating. You are certainly an interesting zanpakuto. By far, the most amusing I have met yet."

"Is that an insult? 'Cause if it is, then I've got my own comeback." Ruri'iro Kujaku straightened, smiling triumphantly. "You're ugly! Oh, shoot, I sounded like Yumichika."

"More proof that you hate your wielder," Muramasa nodded. "Excellent. Now then, after you I must speak with Hozukimaru, so if you could kindly take my hand I will transport you to the zanpakuto hideaway I made and then be on my way. I won't be going with you, so you'll just have to deal with them yourselves."

Ruri'iro Kujaku arched an eyebrow questioningly. "Well, technically, I never said I would go with you."

"You might as well have said it." Muramasa replied, offering his hand to the zanpakuto.

"True enough." He acknowledged before taking the hand. The world around him became blurry, but he was used to flying, so it didn't have the same dizzying effect that might have occurred to any others. However, he did find it quite unexpected and annoying.

_That guy never said anything about flying there at quick-speeds! I could have prepared myself._

When the whole flying thing was over, he stumbled- yes, actually _stumbled_- to a stop, and was frankly appalled that he had made such an ugly landing, and then even more so that he had thought the word 'ugly' again. But he'd never stumbled before! Not even when he was young. It must not have been flying, he decided. If it was flying, he wouldn't have stumbled, thus the journey had not been taken by flight. It was as simple as that.

Trying to forget about his horrible landing, Ruri'iro Kujaku glanced around, wondering if this pathetically small room was the zanpakuto hideaway. Then, he caught sight of the staircase, and laughed at himself for actually thinking that such a room was the hideaway. He then coughed, stopping the laughter, and looked solemn. Here he was, joining an army, about to meet other zanpakuto, and best of all… _getting revenge on Yumichika_. It had to be a dream come true. Finally, he would be able to get that Shinigami back, and the pathetic fifth seat would regret the day he had every decided to call his zanpakuto 'Fuji Kujaku'. Fuji Kujaku! The mere thought of it made Ruri'iro Kujaku want to scorn and sneer. Yes, all he had to do was go down the stairs, hopefully make friends, and then murder that Eleventh Division coward.

"So go for it," He told himself.

With those words in mind, he boldly took a step forward, so that he was right in front of the staircase. He glanced down, hearing faint voices coming from the floor below. It sounded as though… a bunch of little kids were wreaking havoc and the grown-ups were trying to calm them down. What a sound. With a deep sigh, he quickly made his way down the stairs, hoping that he looked straight and proud. You only had one chance to make a first impression.

The first impression he received from the others wasn't exactly one he treasured. As soon as he had reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to face them, two little bombs had barraged into him and slammed him into the wall before he even knew what had happened.

_What the freaking hell was that?!_

Ruri'iro Kujaku slumped against the wall dazedly. His head was hurting, and his back was sore. His vision was blurry, and so was his memory. What had happened? He felt two heavy objects on his lap, but he couldn't make out what.

"Sogyo! Kotowari! Get off the poor guy, and apologize." A stern lady's voice cut through the air.

"Aw, we only wanted to play." One voice protested. It seemed to be coming from one of the heavy objects on his lap.

"Yeah, why do we have to apologize?"

"Because," Another girl's voice came in, although this one was softer and more polite. "It would be rude not to. If someone had barreled into you, wouldn't you want them to say they were sorry?"

"Well…"

"… okay."

The two objects disappeared, and Ruri'iro Kujaku was beginning to see more clearly now. He saw two young boys with silver hair and green eyes standing in front of him, grinning. A little ways behind them was a tall purple-haired lady, probably the one who had ordered them to apologize, and next to them was a girl who seemed to be about their age.

"Sorry!" The boys chirped, offering their hands to help him up.

He eyed them warily, and then refused their hands and stood up by himself. Honestly! Getting tackled by two identical boys as soon as he arrived was _not_ the right way to please a guy. He dusted himself off, and then glared at them some more.

"Wow! Look at his arm's, Koto-chan."

"I know. He's got wings! Isn't that cool, Sogy-chan?"

"Sure is!"

"Wouldn't it be cool if we had wings?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely! I wish we had wings."

"Me too."

"Who are you two?" Ruri'iro Kujaku cut in. He was beginning to get confused by their quick, short sentences. Plus, they were talking about him as though he weren't even there. He hated being ignored, and even more so by two annoying little brats.

"Please excuse them," The little girl must have noticed his discomfort around them. "They are the famous dual zanpakuto, Sogyo no Kotowari, although they prefer to be known as 'Sogy-chan' and 'Koto-chan'. I am Tobiume, their friend, and over there is Katen Kyokotsu. She acts more as a mother figure to them."

"I do not!" The purple-haired lady protested. "The only reason I stick with them is because they absolutely _insist_."

Ruri'iro Kujaku greeted each of them with a curt nod. Already he was feeling out of place. Just remember why you joined, he told himself.

"Good morning!" A cat-human hybrid bounded up to him, a friendly look in her eye. "I'm Haineko. And you are…?"

"Ruri'iro Kujaku."

"Azure peacock?" A demon appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, sneering at him. "What a ridiculous name."

"Can't be any worse than 'wind death'." Ruri'iro Kujaku retorted. Of course he knew about the black demon that roamed the dark mountains. But how dare this devil mock his name? It was way better than Fuji Kujaku, at least!

"Oh, so _you're_ Ruri'iro Kujaku," A fairy suddenly zoomed up in front of him, looking eager. "You're the only other zanpakuto, besides me, who can fly in their spirit form. But you have actual bird wings, with feathers and all… that's so cool!"

"Er… thank you."

"That is Suzumebachi," A scary looking man approached. He was thin, bony, had long hair that practically covered his face, and carried a metal ball on his shoulder and a stone tablet on his back. "She is excited to meet another zanpakuto capable of flight, apparently. I am Wabisuke."

"Ever tried eating?" Ruri'iro Kujaku said bluntly. He couldn't help himself! The man was so skinny!

"You're one to talk," Suzumebachi said, her tone suddenly changing to something harsh.

"Enough, Suzumebachi. We shouldn't get into a fight with the newcomer." A lady walked up beside Wabisuke, and Ruri'iro Kujaku had to admit… she was _gorgeous_.

"You must be Sode no Shirayuki," He said, trying to keep his tone polite and formal. The rumors of the prettiest zanpakuto in all of Soul Society were true!

"That is correct," She smiled kindly at him, before turning and pointing to all the other zanpakuto that had not yet introduced themselves. "That samurai over there is Senbonzakura, and that man is Hyorinmaru. They don't talk much, but they are both extremely powerful, so I suggest you treat them with respect."

Ruri'iro Kujaku nodded, although he barely heard her words. Man, she was so _beautiful_. Silky, white hair. A kind, loving smile. Twinkling blue eyes. There was no doubt that she was exactly the reason why he joined in the first place.

Sode no Shirayuki must have noticed him staring, because she smiled again. Another warm smile, but her words completely ruined it. "I would appreciate if you do not develop a crush on me."

Well, that was cold.

His jaw dropped, while all the other zanpakuto laughed, as though it was a joke that he was falling in love with her. She had rejected him! Him, of all zanpakuto! He couldn't even close his mouth- he was too deep in shock.

You only had one chance to make a first impression, and his first impression definitely wasn't one to be proud of.


	12. Hozukimaru

_Chapter 12: Hozukimaru_

Darkness was all he'd ever known. Darkness, and the feeling of the damp dirt beneath him as he paced in his underground world. He'd never seen the light of day, no matter how many times he'd heard about it. He used to rage in his underground cave, demanding that he be let out. But, of course, he was always ignored. Over the decades, his eyes had become adjusted to the dark. He could see as well at night as you could during the day. But he still yearned to see the sun, and the world above him. So, in return for Ikkaku Madarame ignoring him, he ignored his wielder whenever his Bankai was called upon. He chose that as a good moment to sleep, except for when Ikkaku would begin spinning him all around and screaming at him to wake up. That was when he was forced to oblige, and that was why he hated the third seat. Ikkaku could very well become a captain, maybe even a candidate for the third, fifth, or ninth divisions. But _noo_, he never wanted to admit that he'd achieved Bankai. All because he wanted to stay under the command of that bloodthirsty psycho who didn't even know his own zanpakuto's name.

Hozukimaru snorted at the very thought of it, and then rolled over onto his back, arms behind his head. There was nothing to look at except for the black ceiling, but he still kept his eyes open. Because he wasn't released too often, he had taken to sleeping all the time. And besides, sleeping was good for you. Stores up energy and all that stuff. He just hated having to get up and actually use his powers. Yes, over the past century he had become some terribly lazy oaf who did nothing but lounge around all day in complete darkness. Judging from the rumors he'd heard, there was another zanpakuto like that, but he had no idea who. Stories didn't get passed into his world so easily. He lived in complete darkness, and he'd pretty much never heard another voice other than his own. He used to talk to himself, but he'd stopped about seventy years ago because he thought that it made him look insane. Now he wondered if he could still talk at all.

Loneliness was usually a depressing thing, but for Hozukimaru, it was perfect. When he had first been made, he had wanted nothing more than light and friends, but now that he'd grown older, he realized that his dreams were foolishness. Light would be nice to have, he still admitted that, but darkness was better for sleeping in. Let's face it; everyone sleeps better in the dark. And friends… again, friends would be nice to have, but if there were more than one zanpakuto in his world, he'd never be able to sleep. And sleep was the most important thing for him. Plus, he snored. And he was pretty sure that other people didn't appreciate snoring.

Hozukimaru blinked once, and then let out an enormous yawn. Enough thinking for one night, it was time to sleep now. He rolled back onto his stomach, crossing his arms and burying his face into them. His long orange mane covered half of his body, and actually provided a little warmth, although not much. He closed his eyes, and waited for sleep to kick in, which it did in a matter of one minute. He was a deep sleeper, and he knew it. Almost nothing could wake him up once he was out of it. Except for maybe an ultra-powerful attack, or a really loud and annoying voice. But how many times did those things occur in his world, anyways? That was why he usually got plenty of uninterrupted naps. And that was exactly the way he liked it. Uninterrupted. But, if he'd been awake for perhaps three minutes longer, he wouldn't have gotten a rude awakening, because he wouldn't have been asleep. But he did sleep, so this day would mark a very important happening. Hozukimaru's nap was actually interrupted.

When you're dreaming, the dream seems to have taken a long time, when in reality it was probably only fifteen-twenty minutes long at most. During that nap, Hozukimaru dreamt. He dreamt that his underground world was shaking like it never had before, and some anonymous being had actually gotten himself into it. He dreamt of the earth beneath his feet moving, and seeing light for the first time before plunging into darkness once again. It was one of his more troubling dreams, and he didn't particularly enjoy it. But it kept on going, and he had no idea when he would wake up. Until a foot kicked him in the ribs.

Under normal circumstances, something as weak as a kick would never have awoken Hozukimaru. But as soon as the foot had collided with his body, it seemed as though some sort of force had jolted through him, and his eyes instantly snapped open. Out of complete instinct, he lashed out his left arm, but it didn't hit anything, so he sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with one arm and grumbling. Once he'd retreated his arm and blinked a couple of times, he realized that there was a dim outline of a man standing in front of him. Hozukimaru glared at the man as the great ogre stood up, hoping that his large bulk would frighten him.

When the man didn't scramble away in terror, Hozukimaru shook his head, and demanded, "Who the hell are you?"

The man looked up at him with piercing red eyes, which were the only things about him that Hozukimaru could see clearly. "I am Muramasa. And you, I can only assume, are Hozukimaru."

"Thanks, but I know my own name," Hozukimaru snapped. "So then, Muramasa, what're you doing here? Or did you just stop by to have an afternoon chat? And personally, I don't think it's the latter."

"On the contrary, it is." The pair of red eyes blinked. "But, of course, it has to be taken into consideration on what you believe is an 'afternoon chat'."

Hozukimaru frowned. He didn't need to have this stranger wake him up in such a rude manner, and then start acting all smart on him. He spoke irritably, his voice rising with every sarcastic word he said. "Oh, gee, what I consider an afternoon chat is us two sitting down and having a cup of tea, and start talking about how nice the weather is."

Muramasa cocked his head slowly to one side, before lifting it back to its original position. "Okay then. In Soul Society, it is currently raining, and not at all what I consider nice. All the Shinigami have locked themselves up in their quarters, except for a minor few who have decided to go to the bar, as usual. I believe those Shinigami who have gone to the bar are Rangiku Matsumoto, Shuuhei Hisagi, Izuru Kira-."

"I wasn't being serious!" Hozukimaru cut him off. This guy was really starting to irritate him, and he'd only been here for two minutes! "Geez, don't you know the meaning of sarcasm?"

"Sarcasm? I'm afraid that word is not in my vocabulary."

Hozukimaru uttered a low growl, hoping fiercely that the man would get the hint and go away. When Muramasa had proved that he was utterly oblivious to the fact that he was not wanted here, Hozukimaru said, "Okay, fine, so your vocabulary is clearly limited. Would you please go away now?"

"I'm afraid I cannot leave until I have proved my point," Muramasa said. "I am here for a reason, you know. And before you rudely interrupt me again, the reason is because I am building an army. A zanpakuto army, to be exact. It has come to my belief that most zanpakuto are feeling mistreated or disrespected by their wielders, so I have decided to act upon it. Once my army is complete, all of us will attack the Shinigami, and take over Soul Society. The era of the Shinigami will end, and the zanpakuto's will have just begun."

His tone was dull, as though he'd repeated this many times over and was tired of it, but his words had certainly hooked Hozukimaru. Revenge on Ikkaku? The man who dared called himself Hozukimaru's wielder? The ogre couldn't have been happier, even if you told him that he had won a brand new king-sized bed. He opened his mouth to agree, but then paused. For one thing, this whole thing could be a prank or something. For another… doing all that sounded very tiring. And a century of being lazy had certain made Hozukimaru wary of any sort of work. So he shrugged it off and said,

"Sounds nice, I'll admit, but I think I'll pass."

Years of adjusting his eyesight to see better in the dark certainly paid off when he saw Muramasa's expression. Hozukimaru backed away a bit; he had no intention of getting in a fight. Too much of a bother.

"Are you certain?" Muramasa asked. "I know that you must despise your wielder, Ikkaku Madarame. If it weren't for his cowardice, you would be the honored zanpakuto of a captain. But he instead chooses to hide your Bankai, just for the sake of serving under that crazed man of the Eleventh Division. And then, when he _does_ call upon your Bankai, he wakes you up from your nap and actually scolds you for being lazy. Is that life really so satisfactory that you would want to go on with it? Or would you rather come with me, and make some actual friends, and never be interrupted from your nap until you wake up?"

Hozukimaru could have pointed out that Muramasa had been the one to rudely awaken him from his sleep earlier, but then decided against it. He got the feeling that the man wouldn't tolerate being insulted like that. Muramasa was powerful, no doubt, although just how powerful, Hozukimaru wasn't sure. He just didn't like this man.

"Yeah, so I hate that sorry excuse for a Shinigami. But that doesn't mean I'll turn against him just like that." Hozukimaru was lying between his teeth. Of course he wanted to leave, he was just too lazy to. Then again, all he would have to do was go to wherever this Muramasa guy took all the other zanpakuto and then go to sleep there. "But… just out of curiosity… how would we get to that place where all the others are?"

The amused expression Muramasa wore made Hozukimaru want to strangle the smaller zanpakuto. "It's actually quite simple, really. You just experience a slightly dizzying feeling as we are transported at high speeds to the hideaway, and then next thing you know, we're there. And I can assure you, the hideaway is nearly as dark as this place, save for a few candles here and there."

To be honest, it did sound rather tempting. Traveling at an insanely high speed, leaving Ikkaku forever and then being able to rule over him, arriving at some random dark place and being allowed to sleep for as long as he wanted. It sounded like the best deal he could make. But Muramasa still seemed pretty suspicious. Oh well, what was the worst that could happen?

"Sure, why not?" Hozukimaru grunted before his mind had even decided yes. Had he just gotten himself into possibly one of the worst mistakes of his life? Well, too late to turn back now, anyways. It might be interesting.

Muramasa's amused look melted into one of satisfaction. "Excellent. Shall we shake on it, then?" He offered his hand.

Hozukimaru stared at the unusually long fingernails, and mentally grimaced. He then shook it off and reluctantly shook hands with the man. Almost instantly, the darkness faded away and was replaced by a stunningly bright light. He had to shield his eyes with one large arm- the light was extremely unexpected. The ground beneath him was spinning, just like in his dream. Wow, had he really dreamt the future? Maybe this meant he was psychic. Wouldn't it be cool to be psychic? Awful lot of work though. His thoughts of being psychic were interrupted when he realized that he was in another cave, although this one was considerably brighter than his world. The lighting was perfect; exactly what he'd wanted.

The great ogre released Muramasa's hand, and walked around the cave. It was smaller than his world, but he did notice the staircase leading down. He glanced at it, and then looked at Muramasa. Was he supposed to go down there?

"Go ahead," Muramasa invited. "I have to visit another zanpakuto, anyway. This time I believe I will speak to Ashisogi Jizo. Well… that should be fun."

And with that, he disappeared, accompanied by a loud popping noise.

Hozukimaru smiled grimly. "And he said he didn't know the meaning of sarcasm. Surprise, surprise."

He then turned back to the staircase, straightened his back, and strode briskly down the stairs without a second thought. As he went down, he was aware of how large the underground room was, complete with a lake and everything. He'd finally reached the bottom of the stairs, and then turned to face the group of zanpakuto waiting for him. He blinked, slightly startled. He hadn't been expecting so many to already have joined. In fact, as far as he could see, about eleven zanpakuto were staring right at him.

"Hi…" He said awkwardly, out of lack of nothing else to say. "I'm Hozukimaru."

This weird-looking cat-human hybrid was the first to speak, as she slid right up to him and meowed, "Nice to meet you, Hozukimaru. My name's Haineko."

"Pleasure." Hozukimaru said, not really knowing how else to reply.

"I am Sode no Shirayuki," A lovely lady dressed in flowing white robes greeted him. "Welcome to the group."

A black demon suddenly leapt in front of her, causing her to stop in her tracks. He glanced back with a triumphant grin, and then faced Hozukimaru once again and said in a screechy voice, "I'm Kazeshini, and I gotta say, Hozukimaru… damn, you look tough!"

"… Thanks?" Hozukimaru had no other reply to this. What was he supposed to say? That he got to looking like this by sleeping for a hundred years?

Just then, a golden fly zipped around him, and he swung at it in annoyance. The fly flew even quicker, occasionally letting out a cry of protest. He was just about to get it when a man's voice said, "Please stop. That is not an insect you are swatting at, but the zanpakuto, Suzumebachi."

Hozukimaru froze, and peered closely at it. Oh. Looks like it really was a zanpakuto. And she looked pretty mad. "Sorry."

Suzumebachi glared at him, and then went over to the man who had spoken up. The man was extremely skinny, and had long dark hair. He carried a metal ball on his shoulder, and a stone tablet on his back, something that confused Hozukimaru greatly, but he chose not to ask. "I am Wabisuke. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you. And, uh, sorry again, Suzumebachi."

"Whatever." The little glowing zanpakuto muttered sullenly.

"If someone had just tried to crush you with his huge arm, wouldn't you want more of an apology?" A quiet voice spoke up.

Hozukimaru glanced over to see a young girl with dark brown hair staring up at him. She had a look of innocence on, though behind her were two twin boys who were staring at him as though challenging him to hurt her.

"I believe you must give Suzumebachi a more sincere apology." The girl continued before following his gaze to the boys behind her. She then blinked and looked back up at him. "By the way, my name is Tobiume. And those two are Sogy-chan and Koto-chan, otherwise known as Sogyo no Kotowari."

Hozukimaru nodded awkwardly at them, and then turned to face a purple-haired lady with some creepy bone symbols on her clothes. He looked questioningly at her, and also realized that she was wearing an eye patch. What was she, an amateur pirate?

"I'm Katen Kyokotsu. Glad you decided to join us." She said, not sounding particularly glad at all.

"Mm-hm." He mumbled back. He wasn't even sure if he could remember all these names. He then glanced at a far-off pair, a samurai and a tall green-haired man. The samurai wore a freaky mask that was constantly frowning, and his companion was actually staring at Tobiume for some reason.

When the samurai noticed that Hozukimaru was looking at him, he nodded and said, "I'm Senbonzakura."

Hozukimaru switched his gaze to the man, and the man simply said, "Hyorinmaru."

That seemed to be about as much as he was going to get out of the two. Hozukimaru shrugged it off, and turned his attention to the last zanpakuto of the group. He looked to be a rather thin man with bandages wrapped around his head, but he also seemed to have feathers. His expression was something far from delight, and when he noticed Hozukimaru staring at him, he sighed and said, "I'm Ruri'iro Kujaku. Welcome to this amazing place of zanpakuto wonders. I hope you enjoy your stay."

Hozukimaru watched him in puzzlement, and once all the other zanpakuto had left, he approached Ruri'iro Kujaku. "Yo. You seem kinda down. What's up?"

Ruri'iro Kujaku looked at him as though he couldn't figure out why the larger zanpakuto was talking to him, but he replied saying, "You know how pretty Sode no Shirayuki is? Yeah, well, don't fall for her. She'll only crush you."

Hozukimaru realized that she had probably rejected Ruri'iro Kujaku, so he didn't say anything. He just sat down next to the birdman, and didn't say a word. He was already kind of beginning to like this place, and its many zanpakuto. He was sure he could make plenty of new friends here. And maybe Ruri'iro Kujaku could be his first one.


	13. Ashisogi Jizo

_Chapter 13: Ashisogi Jizo_

Green fumes rose into the air, poisonous to anyone who dared to breathe it. The rigged walls of its world were wet with slime, and the ooze dripped down slowly to the damp floor. Holes in the ground opened and closed whenever they felt like it, sometimes belching out the toxic smoke, and sometimes letting out nothing. The chemicals in its world would have been hazardous to anyone other than itself. To others, it could tear them from the inside out, or simply make their body explode in a second. It could, perhaps, melt one's organs one by one until he or she died, or maybe cause blood to leak out of their mouth and ears until their dry body shriveled up. It could do many terrible things, many deadly ways to go. The air itself would kill anyone who dared to enter its world, except for itself, of course. What would be the point of its amazing security system if it killed itself in the meantime?

It gently floated around its world, its feet barely touching the ground as it bobbed up and down in the air. Its wide clear eyes didn't miss a thing, and its sensitive hearing could catch a mouse breathing from a mile away. Not that there were any mice in its world. It should probably feel honored to have to such superhuman senses, but in no way did it feel happy about it. Rightfully, it shouldn't have amazing eyes and ears. Rightfully, it should have simply been a butterfly, there to help and protect its wielder. But the evil Mayuri Kurotsuchi had not been satisfied with a simple green-and-blue insect as his zanpakuto. He had altered its appearance into something horrifying, a creature half-butterfly and half-human. He had given it awesome powers, and amazing sight and incredible hearing. He had experimented on his own zanpakuto.

And as his zanpakuto, Ashisogi Jizo could not say a thing that would suggest it were disloyal to its wielder. A zanpakuto obeyed his wielder's every command, and that was the end of it. That was the rule Mayuri had drilled into it, and that was the rule it followed. It followed that rule without question, but the true law it wanted to sustain was: a zanpakuto could never go against its wielder, and the wielder could never go against its zanpakuto. It was unfortunate that that was the rule Mayuri spat upon and ignored. Ashisogi Jizo couldn't even remember the innocent form it had once had. Mayuri had done it much wrong, and he even admitted it. But it couldn't very well turn against him, could it? After all, doing so would be breaking the rule.

Ashisogi Jizo flew up to one sticky wall of his world, and prodded it with one hand. When it inspected its fingers, it nodded, satisfied that the paralyzing goo was still working. It then shook off the substance and continued on, checking to make sure that all of its security systems were in complete order. Once it was sure that everything was working perfectly, it did what it did every day to pass the time. It hung in midair, and waited. While it waited, it thought. It thought about what life would be like if its wielder wasn't so… insane. If Mayuri had been normal, it would still be a perfectly happy butterfly, flitting around in its poisonous world. But Mayuri was not normal, and that was why Ashisogi Jizo was now in the form of a hideous human baby with wings. Ashisogi Jizo was always honest with itself. It hated its wielder very much, and that was the truth. But another thing that was the truth was the fact that it couldn't leave. It would have to serve the mad scientist Shinigami until the day it died. The whole situation was honestly quite sad.

Ashisogi Jizo blinked its wide eyes twice, and then twitched its head slightly. There was nothing to do in this world but think of all the wrongs Mayuri had done to it. And even that got boring, eventually. No matter… the day would soon be over and Ashisogi Jizo would fall asleep. Only to wake up to another depressing day, that is. But sleeping was fun. Sleeping was what it looked forward to most. However, right now, it got the oddest feeling that it wouldn't be sleeping tonight. This feeling worried it. Something bad was about to happen, and it didn't like bad things. Something had gotten into his world, and was unaffected by the poisons that served as security. And that meat that this something was powerful. Even more powerful than Mayuri, perhaps. Ashisogi Jizo shuddered mentally at the very thought of _anything_ being more powerful than its wielder.

But, there was nothing else to do. So he it there, and waited for the something to appear. While it waited, it wondered what the something could be. Surely another zanpakuto, for only zanpakuto could go into a Shinigami's inner world. But Ashisogi Jizo had never gotten a visitor- everyone else was too scared that they'd die as soon as they entered its world, and they were actually quite right, so it couldn't exactly blame them. This zanpakuto, however, was clearly not dead. Ashisogi Jizo could sense its presence, and it was still there, well and alive. Was this stranger zanpakuto immune to poison, perhaps? Ashisogi Jizo had never heard of such a thing, unless Mayuri Kurotsuchi had given someone else his special anti-poison concoction. But that was more than unlikely.

Ashisogi Jizo was just thinking about who it could be, when a voice it'd never heard before sounded. "My, my. You're certainly not quite what I'd expected."

A man had suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. The bottom half of his face was buried into his thickly furred collar, and his dirty brown hair lay as a mess on his head. His body shifted slightly, snuggling into his large coat. Gleaming red eyes burned into Ashisogi Jizo, and then he spoke again. "I heard from long ago that Ashisogi Jizo was an innocent colorful butterfly. However, your current appearance says otherwise. A human infant with large moth's wings. How… intriguing."

Ashisogi Jizo stared at him, wondering what exactly the man meant. This stranger must be very old to know what it had used to look like. It didn't say anything in return, mainly because there was nothing to say.

"Your wielder is Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the mad scientist of Sereitei. He must have been the one to alter your appearance. To experiment on your own zanpakuto… surely a crime in any law, yes?"

Ashisogi Jizo still didn't say anything. It just waited to hear what the man had to say. Surely this man could not have come simply for a peaceful chat. He must have come here for a reason.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here," The man continued, as though he had read its thoughts. "And I will tell you. But first I must introduce myself. My name is Muramasa, and I, too, am a zanpakuto disrespected by his wielder. In fact, I hated him so much… I killed him."

If he was expecting Ashisogi Jizo to have a reaction, he was certainly disappointed. What did it care if there was one less Shinigami in the world? As a matter of fact, it commended Muramasa for having the guts to kill his wielder. Ashisogi Jizo surely could never do that, because doing so would be going against the rule.

"And I am here to invite you to my army. My zanpakuto army. I have gone around taking in zanpakuto who have been mistreated and neglected, much like you. And once my army is complete, we shall all attack the Shinigami. They will never know what hit them. Their own weapons against them. And when we've won, we will take over them. The Shinigami's era will end, and in place of it, the zanpakuto's will begin." Muramasa explained.

Ashisogi Jizo had to admit, this man had big ideas. Taking over the Shinigami? It certainly sounded exciting, but the whole thing was impossible. Not to mention it was against the rule. It shook its head slowly. It wanted no part of this, especially when the whole thing would blow up in Muramasa's face.

"No?" Muramasa sounded genuinely surprised. "Really, Ashisogi Jizo? I… I thought that you would be more than willing to come with me. Considering what your wielder has done to you, I'm surprised that that you would want to spend another second in this place."

Of course Ashisogi Jizo hated it here. It hated that there was nothing to do, it hated that it had been changed from something innocent to something horrible, and above all it hated its wielder and everything he did. But it couldn't leave. It could never leave its world. So it shook its head again.

"Are you sure? If this is about that ridiculous rule your wielder has drilled into you, than I can do nothing more then urge you to ignore it. I know you must hate him with all your heart, because there is no doubt that he is a terrible man, so please, come with me. Join my army, Ashisogi Jizo, and together we can take revenge on him. All the wrongs he has done to you… why, you can take revenge for all of them. Be honest with yourself. Do you want to join, or don't you?"

Revenge on Mayuri Kurotsuchi? That certainly sounded tempting. Everything horrible that Mayuri had done on it, it could get back at him for. Ashisogi Jizo was always honest with itself. It wanted to go with Muramasa, and join the zanpakuto army. This strange man was right- who cared about the rule? Just ignore it, and go. But… for some weird reason… it couldn't bring itself to agree. It didn't know why, but it couldn't say yes. It shook its head yet again.

This time, however, Muramasa didn't believe him. "Are you lying to me? Ashisogi Jizo, I can tell that with all your heart you want to come with me. So why don't you? If you're worried about how all the other zanpakuto will react to your appearance, I can assure you that none of them are rude on purpose. And eventually they will get used to it. You want to join, so join. Come on."

Ashisogi Jizo was impressed. This man was certainly an excellent judge of character. Yes, it wanted to join. So why didn't it join? Was it out of loyalty to Mayuri? Surely not. It hated Mayuri. So join. Join the army, and take revenge. Why not? But something was still holding it back from nodding. It couldn't tell what, though. Not loyalty to Mayuri, absolutely not. Natural zanpakuto loyalty? Every zanpakuto had loyalty built into them, after all. Did all the other zanpakuto before it deal with this sort of hesitation? Most likely.

"Well, Ashisogi Jizo? What are you waiting for?"

Ashisogi Jizo began to nod, but then it froze. It sighed mentally. All it had to do was nod. So why couldn't it nod? It thought the whole thing over again. Mayuri had illegally experimented on his own zanpakuto, and changed Ashisogi Jizo's entire appearance. He had never shown _any_ compassion towards _anyone_. His whole life he had done wrong. He had even wound up in the Maggot's Nest. So why was Ashisogi Jizo hesitating? Ashisogi Jizo let in a deep but silent breath, and then exhaled it. And then, it nodded.

Muramasa smiled grimly. "So you'll join?"

It nodded again. Yes, it would join. Sure, it would meet all the other zanpakuto. But most importantly, it would take revenge. It would finally break away from Mayuri's hold, and take revenge on him. How… exciting.

Muramasa outstretched his hand, and gently touched Ashisogi Jizo. Immediately, the two of them were traveling through a long bright tunnel, the light nearly blinding Ashisogi Jizo because of his amazing eyesight. It ducked its head, trying to ignore the brightness. When the world around it became dark again, it glanced up, and found itself in an underground cave. Glancing around, it could see nearly every speck of dirt, and then its gaze settled on a staircase leader down. It slowly approached it, looking down. A dim light seemed to be coming from the room below, and that was most likely where the other zanpakuto were.

Muramasa nudged it, and nodded at the staircase. "Why don't you go down? Everyone else is there. I'm afraid I can't go with you, though. I must meet up with Zabimaru, now."

Ashisogi Jizo glanced at him, and then proceeded to fly down the stairs. It hoped the other zanpakuto liked it. It did need a friend. A loud snapping noise sounded behind it, and it assumed that meant Muramasa had left. Finally, it arrived at the bottom room, and was surprised by the number of the other zanpakuto. Certainly more then it had expected.

All the others were staring at Ashisogi Jizo, making it feel slightly uncomfortable. Were they afraid of it? A large dark-skinned ogre approached it, glaring sternly down. "You must be Ashisogi Jizo. Welcome, I suppose. My name is Hozukimaru."

Ashisogi Jizo nodded. It then looked at the other zanpakuto, waiting for them to introduce themselves. It was a large group, and it was somewhat eager to learn everyone else's names.

A cat-human hybrid stretched, and then looked at it in a sleepy way. "Hello. I'm Haineko. Nice to meet you."

A loud cackle interrupted her, and a black demon that seemed to have come out of nowhere declared, "The name's Kazeshini."

"My name is Sode no Shirayuki. It is a pleasure to meet you." A beautiful white lady greeted it. Ashisogi Jizo found itself envying her good looks, while it was a hideous half-and-half.

A fairy suddenly zipped all around him, chirping out a greeting. "I'm Suzumebachi. Glad you decided to come."

A thin man holding two heavy objects said in a low voice, "My name is Wabisuke. Pleasure."

"I am Tobiume. Greetings." A small girl said.

"Katen Kyokotsu." A tall woman with purple hair nodded bluntly.

Two silver-haired boys, most likely twins, suddenly appeared in front of Ashisogi Jizo, and introduced themselves as Sogy-chan and Koto-chan.

"Wow, you look funny." Sogyo commented.

"Yeah, why do you look so weird?" Kotowari asked.

Ashisogi Jizo probably should have been insulted, but it didn't. Maybe because it knew it looked weird, or maybe because the two were only kids. It didn't really matter. It turned to a man in samurai armor, and waited for him to introduce himself.

"I am Senbonzakura."

"And I am Hyorinmaru." A green-haired man with an X-shaped scar on his face standing next to Senbonzakura said.

"My name is Ruri'iro Kujaku. A pleasure to meet you." A man with bandages wrapped around his head, and feathers on his arms, greeted him.

"So that's everyone," Hozukimaru grunted. "Hope you enjoy it here."

Ashisogi Jizo nodded slowly, and then floated away to a far-off corner. Maybe it would enjoy it here, with all the other zanpakuto, but that wasn't why it had come. The point was, it wanted revenge. And Mayuri Kurotsuchi would regret the day he'd ever received Ashisogi Jizo as a zanpakuto.


	14. Zabimaru

_Chapter 14: Zabimaru_

"OW! What the hell was that for, you crazy bitch? OW! Stop that!"

"I will once you start listening to me when I'm talking to you."

"I was listening! Since when does eating a mouse count as not listening?"

"If someone's saying something to you, you're supposed to show that you're listening by looking at them straight in the eye."

"That's stupid. Where did you get that idea from?"

"It is not stupid! It's a sign of respect."

The small pink-haired boy turned his head away and scoffed. "Show respect to you? That's likely."

His taller companion, a woman covered in green fur with light brown hair, glowered at him. "Yeah? What's that supposed to mean, Snakey?"

"What do you think it means, Chimpette?" The boy retorted.

This was a normal day in Renji Abarai's inner world. At first glance of the leafy jungle, you would think it lovely and peaceful. Exotic plants, wild animals, fruits hanging nearly everywhere. Warm and tropical, it seemed a great place to live. Until you ventured further into the trees, and came across Zabimaru. The first thing your mind would register was a lady with green fur arguing to a pink-haired boy with a snake tail. Then you would see that a chain wrapped around the lady's waist connected them. Then you would notice their peculiar nicknames for each other- "Snakey" and "Chimpette". And because you would have no other way of addressing them, because you could not call _both_ of them "Zabimaru", you would have to adopt them by their nicknames, as well. You would think that because they were connected and have been together for so long, they would be the best of friends, quite like Sogyo no Kotowari. But the longer you stayed in that jungle, the more you'd notice how the two seemed to fight 24/7. And you would get tired of it, and leave. But that wouldn't change a thing, because the two would have been so busy arguing that they wouldn't have noticed that you had arrived in the first place.

"Why do you always have to get all over my back?" Snakey demanded. "I was hungry, I wanted a mouse. I ate one, and you get all mad at me!"

"I was only getting mad because you weren't listening." Chimpette retorted.

"I _was_ listening!"

"Oh, were you now? Prove it! What was I talking about?"

"You were telling me about how our wielder is all lazy and stupid and way too dependant on us." Snakey shrugged. "Eh. Hell if I know _why_ you were talking about him. Renji's not as bad as you think he is- OW! Why'd you do that again?"

Chimpette retreated her fist, and said in return, "You idiot, I wasn't talking _about_ Renji. I was just saying that I didn't like him."

"That's talking about him. What are you, stupid? OW! Quit it!"

"Don't call me stupid- you're the one who's not even paying attention to me."

"Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" Snakey ducked another blow from the woman's fist, and smirked. "Ha! You missed! OW! Why do you keep hitting me? It hurts, you know."

"I know. That's why I have to keep hitting you- to knock some sense into that stupid little brain of yours!"

"Well I heard that every time you hit someone on the head, he loses ten brain cells. So that backfired on you, didn't it? Hey, why are you-? Whoa! Missed again! And again! … Stop trying to hit me; it's getting annoying. I said quit it. I said QUIT IT! Now who's the one who's not listening?"

"Hey, if you're not gonna listen to me, I'm not gonna listen to you."

"I told you, I _was_ listening. I knew you said something about Renji."

"But you didn't know _what_ I was saying about him."

"Who cares? I still knew he was the topic of what you were talking about." The boy rose up in the air, supported by his snake tail, and glared at his companion. "I don't get why you're so worked up over me eating a stupid piece of fruit, and not catching everything you were saying. You were probably just talking to yourself again."

"What was that?" Chimpette growled. "Are you saying that I'm some old lady who just rambles nonsense to herself all the time?"

"What the-? I never said that, you senile old cow!"

"Do you hear yourself? You just called me old! And don't…"

"OW!"

"… Call me a cow! You're one to talk about size, you little shrimp."

At her words, Snakey bared his thorn-sharp fangs and hissed furiously.

"Scary, scary," Chimpette sneered. "Monkeys aren't afraid of snakes, you know."

"Well it's not my fault if snakes are naturally smaller than baboons. At least I don't have a huge ass." Snakey retorted. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. He knew that his comment would piss her off.

"What did you just say?!" Chimpette roared.

Snakey smirked, and then opened his mouth to continue his insults, when a confused look suddenly came across his face. He frowned, and sunk back onto the ground, landing on his own two feet. Chimpette watched him in puzzlement, and then the same look of confusion settled on her face. She lifted her head, trying to make out the rustling sound she'd heard just a moment ago. The two glanced at each other, and then their frowns turned to looks of confidence. Someone had entered their jungle, but he certainly wouldn't be getting out of it in once piece.

"Bickering comrades. Certainly not ideal for when you're in the middle of a battle." A deep voice sounded from behind the two of them.

The pair tensed and whirled around, readying themselves for a fight. The intruder was a tall man with short but messy dark hair. Shadowed circles surrounded his eyes, bringing out his glowing red eyes. Despite the humidity of the jungle, he wore a long coat with a fluffy fur collar. His arms hung loosely at his side, although his long fingernails reached to his knees. His eyes flickered from Chimpette to Snakey, and then he spoke again. "You two must be extremely bored to be arguing all the time."

Chimpette eyed him warily. "So what?"

"This jungle seems very large, in my opinion. Surely there must be much to do for a monkey and a snake."

"Please," This time it was Snakey who spoke. "Chimpette just wants to swing around in the trees all day long. It's such a waste of time when you could just lie around in the sun and relax."

"Oh come on. Who wants to sleep all day? You're just too lazy, aren't you? All snakes are lazy."

"Who are you calling lazy?"

"Who do you think? You!"

"If you both want to do something different," The man intervened before another argument could break out. "Then why not just untie that chain? Once you do that, you'll both be free to do whatever you want."

The two glanced at him, and sneered. "Hey, stupid, who do you think we are? We're Zabimaru, and that's one zanpakuto. If we take off the chain, we die. Get it?"

The man paused, and then nodded. "I see. I apologize for suggesting something that could end your life."

"Yeah, you should be sorry." Snakey replied. "Now get outta here before we make you."

"We don't take kindly to trespassers. So if you could, please leave without any sort of resistance." Chimpette added.

"Again, I apologize. I cannot leave until I have made you my offer." When he saw Chimpette open her mouth, he quickly went on. "My name is Muramasa, and I am building an army of zanpakuto. I'm sure you have many questions, but if you would please listen to me, I'm sure at least half of them will be answered while I speak. I have noticed recently that many of the Shinigami have been mistreating their zanpakuto. On second thought, perhaps neglecting is the better word. Whenever us zanpakuto have something to say to our wielders, they ignore us and do whatever they want. They use us as nothing more than swords, and expect us to deal with it. They believe that they are the ones doing us a favor, they believe that we cannot live without them. I want to prove them wrong. I want to show them that we are not dependant on them, and once my army is complete, we will all attack, and we will reign over _them_. _They_ will be the ones depending on us. Their reign will end, and ours will begin."

Muramasa stopped, looking at the two to see their reactions. It seemed the lady with green fur was looking triumphant- that must mean she was agreeing. But the boy with the snake tail looked slightly troubled. He sighed mentally; hopefully he wouldn't have to convince the two like he had with Sogyo no Kotowari. Then again, it didn't look like the two shared quite the same bond as the twins had. Muramasa waited, wondering what they would say. As it turned out, it was the boy who spoke first.

"Nice speech. Bit long, though." Snakey's voice suddenly turned hard. "And a complete waste of time. Come on, _Muramasa_. Do you seriously think we're going to turn against Renji just like that?"

"Oh, I don't know. I thought the whole thing seemed kind of tempting." Chimpette shrugged. "I'm more than willing, but it looks like Snakey's going to be the good zanpakuto here."

"It's not my fault if you don't like Renji. He's not a bad guy." Snakey protested.

"You're not listening to me when I say that he's too dependant. For every stupid battle he calls upon our Shikai, even when it's not needed."

"It's not like he can do anything else. He can't do Kido, so he has to rely on us."

"Exactly! What sort of pathetic Shinigami can't even perform one simple Kido spell?" Chimpette pointed out.

"Why are you so against him? We're his zanpakuto, so we have to help him." Snakey insisted.

"Why do we _have_ to? Listen to me, Snakey." Her tone turned serious. "To him, we're nothing more than an old fighting tool."

"We are _not_!"

Muramasa blinked, wondering if the two even remembered he was there. The boy with the snake tail did seem to be the loyal zanpakuto. Although, in all honesty, he was hoping the woman with the green fur would win the argument.

"Snakey, listen to me for once. Sooner or later, Renji's gonna get sick of us. And when he does, he'll start disrespecting us. We have to get out of here before he does that. No, don't interrupt me, just hear me out. He's already getting sick of us because we couldn't beat that guy Ichigo and his zanpakuto, Zangetsu. Besides, he's insulted us more than once, you know it. We can have our revenge. We can show him that we're not the pathetic zanpakuto he thinks we are."

Snakey opened his mouth to protest, but Chimpette didn't give him a chance. "Snakey, we're friends, right?" When he hesitated, she prompted, "Right?"

He glared at her, but muttered, "Yeah. We're friends."

"So come on. Let's do this."

Snakey looked at her for a long time, and then at Muramasa, and then back at her. "I can't believe you want to betray Renji for a reason as stupid as that one." He grinned. "But I'm in. If I'm gonna have to follow your huge ass, I'll at least follow it to somewhere exciting."

Muramasa felt a glimmer of amusement, and then quickly said before the lady with the green fur could protest, "I'm glad you both agree, even if your reasons are… less than satisfactory." He approached the two, and put a hand on their heads.

Both of them growled in protest, but before they could say anything they both felt a sickening feeling. While Snakey felt a pulling in his gut, Chimpette felt a strange tingling sensation in her fur. The mouse Snakey had devoured only fifteen minutes earlier came out again, and his companion inched away slowly. They were traveling through a bright white tunnel, and both of them wondered briefly if they had died, but then they arrived at a dark cave. It was damp and small, and Chimpette shifted uncomfortably while Snakey let out a soft hiss of delight. Apparently, he liked the black.

Muramasa pointed at a flight of stairs and said, "The other zanpakuto are down there. Why don't we all go meet them?"

"Sure, why not?" Chimpette grunted.

The tall man nodded and then made his way down the stairs, soon followed by the two. As he went down, he called out to the other zanpakuto, and by the time all three of them had reached the bottom, nearly all the others were there to greet them.

"Hello everyone," Muramasa greeted. "It's been quite a few hours. I have brought with me Zabimaru. However, they seem to be two different spirits. A fine lady in green fur, and a small boy with a snake tail. Interesting, is it not?"

"Hey, don't call me small." Snakey snapped

"But you are small." Quite suddenly, a boy with silver hair popped up in front of Snakey, and he fell back with a cry.

"Yeah, you're about as small as us." Another boy, most likely the first one's twin, joined his brother.

"Don't compare me with you two." Snakey growled as he rose up on his tail.

"Oh, don't freak out over your size." Chimpette tugged his chain to reprimand him.

"You're one to talk."

"What was that?"

"Never mind."

"You two are kinda weird." A cat-human hybrid spoke up.

"More like insane." A demon sneered.

"Actually, Kazeshini, I think they're weird. Insane is a bit too… much, you know?"

"No I don't know. Care to explain, Haineko?"

Snakey watched them for a few brief moments, and sighed in obvious distaste. He glanced around, ignoring all the unfamiliar faces around him, and then suddenly grinned. "Hey! A lake! How cool is that?"

And with that said, he completely ignored everyone else who had yet to introduce themselves and ran straight into the water, despite Chimpette's cries of protest. As he passed by them, however, he did manage to register a few zanpakuto whom he had a good guess of who they were. Such as Haineko, Kazeshini, Sode no Shirayuki, Suzumebachi, Wabisuke, and Hyorinmaru. But he shrugged them off and decided to meet them later. With a shout, he leapt into the lake. While he cheerfully slithered around, his friend stomped after him, yelling at him to stop.

"They certainly are an interesting pair." Sode no Shirayuki said quietly to Muramasa.

"I agree. They are admittedly a bit strange, but their powers are certainly needed here." Muramasa replied.

"Yes, I suppose so." Sode no Shirayuki sighed.

"Now then, I must go. There are a few other zanpakuto I must speak with before the week is over."

And with that said, Muramasa climbed back up the stairs, and left with a pop. A few moments later, Snakey reared up from the water and said, "Wow! This place is great! I'm glad you convinced me to come here, Chimpette."

"Oh, sure." His friend grumbled as she stood up, dripping wet. "You're welcome."

Snakey laughed with delight, and then continued his swimming. Chimpette watched him, sighing as he splashed her. She just had to deal with it until Muramasa had gathered everyone else. Something in her eyes glinted. She could finally get Renji Abarai back.

Her revenge was just beginning.

* * *

**Okay... and after Zabimaru, I have no idea who to do. The only remaining zanpakuto are Gonryumaru, Gegetsuburi, Minazuki, and Tenken. So who should I do next?**


	15. Gonryomaru

_Chapter 15: Gonryomaru_

A clear pool shimmered, the water rippling as the fish beneath it swam. The setting sun lit upon it, giving it a dark purplish color. The sand surrounding it lifted in the wind, swirling around the large rocks nestled along the shoreline. Once the wind had calmed down, and the sand fell back to the ground, the pool began moving again. There would be the occasional splash as a large fish slapped its tail on the surface, or a screech from a hawk as it swooped down from the mountains to capture its dinner. The hawk did, after all, have a large selection of aquatic creatures to choose from, such as fish, frogs, turtles, or even the occasional crab or lobster.

Underneath the water, however, one particular sea animal swam about. The herring's tail moved side-to-side as it zoomed around, careless and free, no troubles at all. Its scales gave out a radiant gleam as the sun's rays touched them, letting the fish glow briefly until it zipped into the shadows. It continued this game, swimming in and out of the sun's reach, until a tasty tidbit of something fell in the lake. It bobbed up and down, a flurry of bubbles following it, until it finally floated at the top, limp and wet. Naturally curious, although more along the lines of hunger, the fish went up to it, inspecting it closely. Finally deeming the strange thing fit to eat, it happily chomped down, and almost instantly found a long pike thrust through its body.

The man lifted his weapon and studied the fish as it thrashed about, looking to see if it was big enough to eat. Deciding that it was, he let out a small electric jolt that quickly killed the herring, and then tossed it into the pile of fish that he had gathered earlier that day. He peered back into the water, wondering if he should catch one more or if he had enough to eat. He thought for a few moments, and then shrugged off the idea, turning back to his soon-to-be dinner. After swiftly counting how many fish he had, he settled down beside them and took off the box he carried on his back. The box served more as a luggage, the thing he used to store all his objects and such. Now, he dug through it, and then finally found what he'd been looking for. With a grunt of satisfaction, he pulled out a small silk bag, and turned it over, emptying out its contents on the ground. Out of the pouch, a piece of flint and a striking stone fell out, and the man was quick to use them. He struck them together, and sparks flew out, setting fire to the wood and grass he'd prepared only minutes before.

Once his fire was going strong, Gonryomaru packed up his tools into the bag, and then tossed it back into his box. He went through his pack once again, and fished out three long skewers. He looked upon them with a pleased expression, and then stuck each one in a fish before placing them by the fire to allow them to cook. When the last skewer was finally in place, Gonryomaru leaned back, arms wrapped around his knees as he rocked back and forth. After a few moments, he stopped, his hands fingering his treasured pike as it rested beside him. The pike was his weapon, and pretty much his only hope of survival in his world. He needed it to catch fish that swam in the lake, and to drive off the bears and mountains lions that prowled the mountains. Of course, Gonryomaru did question on how his pussy of a wielder could ever have something so wild as an inner world. Chojiro Sasakibe only did as the western people did, ever since that ridiculous experience with the men and the tea.

Gonryomaru could laugh at his wielder. He recalled when Sasakibe was young, and had been more outgoing and, believe or not, the class clown. But then he became the vice-captain under the Captain-Commander, and became all stiff and… not fun. Another fact that could be pointed out was that Sasakibe practically never fought, and thus Gonryomaru was never released. That was something he didn't very much appreciate. And then, when that orange-haired ryoka had attacked, Gonryomaru had finally been allowed to come out. But, apparently, Sasakibe had been too out of practice and let a _human teenager_ defeat him. That was just too funny.

A faint burning smell caught his attention, and Gonryomaru immediately snapped back to reality. Remembering his fish, he snatched back the skewers and blew on them frantically. Once they were finally cooled down, he sniffed them once and took a small bite. He ate quickly, discarding the bones and placing back the skewer once he was finished. He had just begun his second fish when he realized something was off in his world. During his mealtimes, he could usually hear the soft growling of a panther or a wolf as it circled his camp, eager for a small treat. Sometimes Gonryomaru even spotted a bear. And birds always flew above his head, waiting for him to go to sleep or leave so that they could light down and eat the leftovers. But now, there was no _whoosh _in the air that signaled that any sort of flying creature was in the sky, and no quiet snarl of a predator. Something had scared everything away, and it was probably going to go for Gonryomaru next.

Gonryomaru wondered if he should leave his dinner and flee, or stay and see if the something was actually a fellow traveler. Deciding to bet on the latter, he took another bite of his fish and waited.

"Greetings," A low voice sounded.

Saying that it didn't startle Gonryomaru would be a lie. He jumped a little, hand instinctively reaching out to his weapon, but then he relaxed. The voice had come from a man, who was now revealing himself in the light of the fire. He was fairly tall, with marking around his eyes and messy black hair. He wore an odd-looking coat with a fur collar, and the flames really brought out his pale skin. Gonryomaru debated on whether to 'judge a book by its cover', and then decided against it.

"Hello!" He called out cheerfully. He picked up the third fish and held it out. "It's nice to see another face that doesn't belong to an animal. Do you want this? You look pretty hungry. Don't worry about it, I've still got two more just waiting to be cooked."

The man stared at him for a few moments, but Gonryomaru didn't waver. He just kept the smile on his face, and didn't drop the fish. Finally, the man took the fish and sat down, muttering a thank you.

"No problem," Gonryomaru leaned back and ate another bite. "So what's your name, stranger? I'm Gonryomaru."

"Yes, I know." The man replied before delicately nibbling his fish. He licked his lips, as if savoring the flavor, and then took a small bite. Once he'd swallowed, he said, "My name is Muramasa, and I have come with an offer."

Gonryomaru finished off his portion and wiped his mouth with his arm. He grabbed another fish, deciding he was still hungry, and skewered it and placed it by the fire. "An offer? Well, that certainly sounds interesting. What kind of offer?"

"An offer I am hoping you will take," Muramasa replied. "As of late, I have noticed that the Shinigami have been less and less respectful of their zanpakuto. They no longer say a thanks once they've won a fight, nor do they even talk to them. They are beginning to see us zanpakuto as nothing more than simple weapons, and are forgetting that we are also living beings. I am a very tolerant man, but I cannot take their disrespect any longer. I have been going around to all the zanpakuto, and asking if they will join my army. So far, every single one has agreed, and I must say that I have collected about fourteen of the strongest zanpakuto, all belonging to people of either captain or vice-captain rank. And you, Gonryomaru, are the zanpakuto of the First Division vice-captain. Surely you must be extraordinarily powerful, and thus you would make an excellent warrior."

Gonryomaru contemplated his words for a moment, and then smiled grimly as he took the cooked fish away from the fire. "Extraordinarily powerful? Sorry, but I think you're mistaken. I haven't been released for so long, I don't think I can even remember what my command is. Your offer certainly sounds interesting, but I don't think I have a place in your army."

"Every zanpakuto has a place with me," Muramasa argued. "I have taken in all kinds. I have taken the painfully annoying Haineko, and the terribly proud Kazeshini, and even that obnoxious bird Ruri'iro Kujaku. I've taken the lazy ogre Hozukimaru, and the irritating twins Sogyo no Kotowari, and dreadfully moody Katen Kyokotsu. If I can deal with all of them, I can certainly deal with you." He broke off, realizing that his words might have sounded harsher then he'd intended. He let out a deep sigh, and continued, "My deepest apologies. That didn't come out quite the way I hoped it would. But Gonryomaru, you harness the power of electricity, do you not? That would be more than helpful when we attack the Shinigami."

"Attack the Shinigami?" Gonryomaru echoed almost immediately after. "Hold on, when did you say anything about that?"

"It's the only way I see fit to get revenge. They have mistreated and misused us for too long. The only way we can get back at them is to attack and take over. Soon, very soon, we, the zanpakuto, shall be the rulers. The Shinigami's time will end, but ours will have just begun."

Gonryomaru rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling a bit blown away. Maybe this stranger wasn't as harmless as he'd originally thought. "You've really got big ideas for one as young as you, you know that?"

Muramasa looked slightly annoyed at that comment. "Yes, I have been told that multiple times before. And, with all due respect, I can hardly consider myself young-."

"Look, I'm as old as Sasakibe, and that means old. You, being a zanpakuto, should obviously know that we don't age visibly. So in my eyes, you're young and that's that."

"… Very well, I will admit that I am younger than you." Muramasa's voice had an edge to it, a sign that his patience was wearing thin. "But what about my offer? You must have some sort of grudge against your wielder, correct? After all, you said so yourself, you are almost never released."

He did have a point. For one thing, if Gonryomaru joined, Sasakibe would never know, mainly because he never used his own zanpakuto. Plus, Gonryomaru could get back at his wielder and show that western-loving man what his partner was really capable of. Tempting for sure, but also a very big step.

Muramasa was clearly expecting an answer. "Here."

It took Gonryomaru a moment to understand what he was talking about, but then he noticed the stick in Muramasa's hand, and he realized that the man had finished the fish. He took it back with a nod and tossed it back into his box. Gonryomaru glanced down at his half-eaten fish, shrugged, and threw it a little ways off for some passing by wolf or something to eat.

"Well?" Muramasa prompted. "Will you join, or not?"

Gonryomaru hesitated, even while he was unconsciously packing his things back into his box. He closed the box and slipped it onto his back before he realized his body had pretty much decided for him. Well, if he was honest with himself, he did want to take revenge on his wielder. Sasakibe didn't even know Gonryomaru had the power of electricity. Blowing out a long, deep breath, Gonryomaru stood up, grabbing his pike as he did so. "So where are we headed?"

Muramasa looked pleased. "Excellent. If you would just take my hand." With that said, he outstretched his hand and waited.

Gonryomaru stared at it briefly, slightly taken aback by the unusually long fingernails, and then shook it off and grabbed the man's hand. He wondered if they were going to shake on it, to seal the deal, but suddenly the night world around him disappeared, swallowed up by a bright light. Startled, he released Muramasa's hand and backed away. "Hey, what's going on?... Why do I feel so sick?"

The urge to vomit was almost unbelievable, but to do so in front of Muramasa would certainly be rude, so Gonryomaru held back but panted heavily. When the sensation finally left, he realized that they were in a dark cave. It was a small cave, admittedly, but he did notice the staircase leading downwards.

"Go on down," Muramasa invited. "I need to go visit someone else, anyways."

"Oh, really?" Gonryomaru kept his light tone. "And who might that be?"

"I believe he goes by the name of Gegetsuburi. Have you heard of him?"

Had he heard of him? Gonryomaru almost laughed. Everyone had heard of that fat oaf who did nothing but eat all day. However, he faked a look of confusion as said, "Never heard of him." Best let Muramasa be surprised, and see what he would do.

Muramasa nodded. "Very well then. Why don't you go down, then?"

"Sure. I guess I'll see you later." Gonryomaru nodded back, and then turned and went down the stairs, not really knowing what to expect.

No, he had absolutely no idea what he was expecting to happen. But he certainly didn't expect walking in on what seemed to be 'storytime'. Gonryomaru hesitated when he saw the large circle of zanpakuto. Most looked bored, except for the really young ones, and some of them were even asleep.

"So then, the three bears walked in and say Miss Yellow sleeping on the little one's bed," A black demon was saying. "So they were all 'hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?!' and then they ate her. The end."

"Yay!" Three of the younger zanpakuto cheered. From the looks of it, they were all boys, although there seemed to be a pair of twins with silver hair, and then the last one had pink hair.

A purple-haired lady sighed loudly and said, "Wow, Kazeshini. Do you think you could turn a children's fable any more violent? Already you had Hansel and Gretel get eaten by some cannibal. I don't think it's good for the kids."

"Yeah, and since when did you care, 'Katen-chan'?" The black demon, or rather, Kazeshini, countered with a taunting tone.

"Don't call me that." The woman, who might be Katen Kyokotsu, spat.

"Oh yes, that's right. You only reserve that name for Sogyo no Kotowari, there." Kazeshini gestured to the twins. Clearly, he did not enjoy being insulted.

Gonryomaru wondered if he should step in before an argument broke out, when a young girl glanced over to him, and then ever so kindly announced his presence. Every one of the zanpakuto looked over at him, and then immediately flooded over him with a flurry of names. There was "Suzumebachi" and "Sode no Shirayuki" and "Wabisuke" and "Senbonzakura" and plenty of others. He wasn't even sure if he could remember it all.

"Hi," He finally managed out. "I'm Gonryomaru."

"What's that thing on your back?" One of the twins- he was pretty sure it was the one called 'Sogy-chan'- asked.

"It's called a box." He replied.

"Wow! What's in it?" The other one sounded excited, making Gonryomaru wonder what sort of education they had had.

"Are you guys idiots? I bet he's got a bunch of stuff in it." The pink-haired boy- Gonryomaru had managed to pick up a 'Snakey' from his older companion- snapped.

"Why are you carrying around a pike?" Suzumebachi asked.

"Because where I came from, I needed it to survive."

"Really?" Suzumebachi, Sogyo no Kotowari, and Snakey all said together.

"We're having storytime," Sode no Shirayuki said. "Perhaps you would be so kind to tell us of your experiences in your world, Gonryomaru? I am sure we would all appreciate it."

"Really?" Gonryomaru said. He'd just gotten there and now he was a storyteller?

"Did you fight bears?"

"And mountain lions?"

"And wolves?"

"Did you have to hunt for your own food?"

"Did you make your own fires?"

"How did you live like that?"

Gonryomaru gazed upon all of them, realizing that they were all younger then him. Maybe that did make him the wise old storyteller. "Okay then, let's make that circle thing you were all just in. I can tell you all a bunch of things. Like how to make your own campfire, and a few tips on how to keep away the predators."

As the younger ones yelped with delight and scrambled to get back into the circle, Sode no Shirayuki smiled and said, "Excellent."

"This should be good." Kazeshini observed as he sat down.

"I bet it'll be better than any of your ridiculous stories." Ruri'iro Kujaku said.

"Shut up!"

Gonryomaru sat down as well, instantly becoming the center of attention. "Right then… where should I begin?"

Everyone was staring at him intently, bringing out an amused smile on his face. If every day was going to be like this… well, it looks like coming here was the right choice, after all.


	16. Gegetsuburi

_Chapter 16: Gegetsuburi_

"Marechiyo Omaeda is the worst wielder in the history of bad wielders. He's nothing but a huge, fat oaf. He can hardly be considered a true lieutenant, considering he practically bought that position. It is truly a shame to be his zanpakuto."

Gegetsuburi lived on a rock. He never moved from that rock, because if he did, he would tumble into the ocean and drown. So all he could do was sit on that rock, and wait to be released, which hardly ever happened. He disliked his rock, and disliked his wielder even more. For one thing, Omaeda had such small imagination, his inner world was nothing more then a rock in the middle of an ocean. And it was utter torture to just have to sit on that rock all year long, and even the next year. And it was because of this that every day, Gegetsuburi would list off all the negative qualities his wielder had, and then imagine how he could kill him if he could kill him without dying himself.

"He never shares his food, and he's constantly disrespecting his captain by actually eating on top of her. Suzumebachi's wielder is not a table. He allowed my Shikai to get crushed by a simple punch from that orange-haired brat, and then got defeated in less then two seconds. In all honesty, how weak is that?" Gegetsuburi folded his arms across his chest and grumbled. "If I could get him in here, I would first strangle him, and wring that fat little neck of his. Then I would dunk his head underwater for one minute, then lift it for three seconds, and then do it all over again."

The biggest question Gegetsuburi had was how he was at least levelheaded, while Omaeda was nothing more than a stupid idiot. And even more so, how could somebody as reasonable as him become born within Omaeda? It was a degrading insult, in Gegetsuburi's opinion. Admittedly, Gegetsuburi was somewhat on the large side himself, but at least he didn't eat non-stop. In fact, he didn't even know why he was still so large, considering how much he really ate in a year.

"If I said I hated him, that would be an understatement. I loathe him with all my heart. I hate him as much as those Shinigami hate Kyoka Suigetsu's wielder. I hate him as much as Ruri'iro Kujaku hates his nickname. I hate him so much I can't even find enough words to describe it." Gegetsuburi shook his head and grumbled at how stupid that had sounded.

Gegetsuburi had had nothing to do over the decades, besides sitting on the rock and insulting his wielder. Even without being modest, Gegetsuburi had to admit that he was quite patient and clear-headed, but after nearly a century of doing nothing, he could feel his patience wearing thin. About seventeen years ago, he'd vowed to take the first opportunity he got to escape. Unfortunately, in all those seventeen years, he'd only been released once, and that wasn't enough to get away. Sometimes Gegetsuburi wondered if other zanpakuto disliked their wielders as much as he did. He could only assume that some of them did, such as Kazeshini and Haineko.

"If I'm completely honest with myself, I will admit that Omaeda is _okay_ at using my Shikai form. But he could do so much better if he actually trained. But no- he has to stuff his face with rice crackers instead. What an ass."

Gegetsuburi propped his elbow on his knee, and rested his chin on his hand. He let out a long sigh, eyes narrowed in disgust at the very thought of his wielder. "If I ever get a hold of him, I swear I'm going to…"

He trailed off, wondering where he should begin when it came to listing ways to torture and/or kill Omaeda. He could start with trading places, leaving Omaeda here on this isolated rock with nearly nothing to eat. He could start with seizing the oaf and throwing him into the water where he would hopefully get eaten by sharks. Of course, Gegetsuburi was fairly certain that there were no sharks in his world, but he liked to pretend.

"You swear you're going to what?" A cool, deep voice sounded.

Gegetsuburi started, the voice giving him the absolute shock of his life. "Holy-!" He paused when he realized it was just a man standing on the waters before him, watching him intently. "Damn, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Wait… are you standing on water?"

The man slowly looked down at his feet, and then looked back up and nodded. "That I am. I apologize for startling you like that- I didn't realize you were so deep in thought that you didn't notice I had arrived."

"How the hell are you standing on water?" Gegetsuburi demanded.

The man shrugged slightly. "It comes naturally to me. Now then, are you going to finish your initial sentence, or shall I go on to introduce myself and explain why I'm here?"

Gegetsuburi looked over him warily. The man was thin, way thinner then Gegetsuburi or Omaeda. His hair was unkempt and scruffy, a sure sign that he was not taking very good care of it. He wore a strange coat that bore a white fluffy collar, and even that looked somewhat browned and dirty. Dark markings surrounded the man's eyes, possibly paint, although Gegetsuburi questioned upon why someone would want to paint around their eyes. A blank expression lay upon the man's face, emotionless and cold. All in all, the man looked the type to be suspicious of. And it was because of that that Gegetsuburi decided to shrug and say, "Go ahead. Enlighten me."

The man nodded, took in a long breath, and said, "My name is Muramasa, and I am also a zanpakuto neglected by his wielder. It was because of that that I decided to rebel, and kill him. I succeeded, and am now a free zanpakuto. It is now my wish to free all the other zanpakuto enslaved by the Shinigami, and to lead them all in a rebellion against their previous wielders. The Shinigami have ruled over us for too long. They assume that we are nothing more then fighting weapons, to be used whenever they please for whatever reason. It is this sort of behavior towards zanpakuto that downright disgusts me, and I'm quite sure it displeases them as well. And so, I am building an army. A zanpakuto army, to be exact."

Here, Gegetsuburi arched an eyebrow. So far, this whole thing did seem interesting, and certainly agreeable. He was very much displeased with how the Shinigami treated their zanpakuto. Omaeda definitely mistreated him. But an army…

"You've got one hell of an idea." Gegetsuburi told him with a wide grin. "Go on, I'm interested to hear more."

"I'm glad you are already considering joining," Muramasa said calmly. "As I was saying, I am building a zanpakuto army. I have gathered zanpakuto from nearly all the captains and vice-captains of Sereitei, and even one from an unseated officer. A few examples of the zanpakuto who have agreed to join: the dual zanpakuto, Sogyo no Kotowari and Katen Kyokotsu; the ice king, Hyorinmaru; the mysterious samurai, Senbonzakura. If these powerful weapons have decided to ally with us, there is no doubt that we can lose. What of you, Gegetsuburi? Are you willing to join?"

Gegetsuburi gave a questioning grunt. "What do you mean you guys can't lose? You forgot to tell me what this army's for, exactly."

If Muramasa was embarrassed, he certainly didn't show it. He only blinked, and said, "Ah. I apologize, once again. I have been building an army for the sole purpose of attacking the Shinigami, and ruling over them as they once ruled over us. No longer will they be the ones looking down at us, but quite the other way around. We will be the masters, we will be the kings. And they will be the ones serving us."

Gegetsuburi eyed the man. "Oh yeah? And just how to you propose to do that? Us zanpakuto can't leave our realms."

"Perhaps not by yourselves, but my powers enable you to come and go as you please. If I approve of it, that is."

"Your powers? And just what are your powers?"

Muramasa's eyes glittered with something close to annoyance, and he said, "What about you? How do you maintain your large figure when you are isolated on nothing less then a rock barely big enough to hold you?" He paused. "Some things are better left secrets… yes?"

Gegetsuburi let out a low rumble. This man was beginning to annoy hm. "I suppose that other zanpakuto assume that all I do is eat all day, and that's why I'm so big?"

"I am quite sure that the majority of zanpakuto believe that."

The large zanpakuto grumbled angrily and glared down at the waters below. "Well then maybe I should go with you just to knock some sense into their puny little heads. I'm not fat, you know. It's just the way I am. I barely eat anything in a year."

Muramasa nodded. "Yes, I can imagine. There is another zanpakuto whom I have spoken to. Wabisuke is his name, and he, too, scarcely eats because of his wielder's mistreatment and neglect towards him. Although he is perhaps one of the thinnest zanpakuto there."

Gegetsuburi shot a glare at him, and Muramasa added, as though to please him, "But, of course, the appearance of the zanpakuto is entirely based off the Shinigami itself. Us zanpakuto have no say in it, and that is another reason to suggest that we are nothing more than slaves."

This guy was always trying to turn the conversation back to how the Shinigami were treating the zanpakuto badly. It was so hard to have a normal talk with him. "So what?" Gegetsuburi grunted. "You just want me to join your army? Just so you can rub it in my wielder's face when the time comes?"

"So that you can have your chance to escape, and take revenge." Muramasa replied coolly.

"Chance to escape?" Gegetsuburi repeated. He had made a vow to leave as soon as he could, hadn't he? So why exactly was he stalling? "Why would you care about the other zanpakuto? Why would you want to take time on us?"

"Because I know what it's like to feel abandoned and neglected, and I also know that most other zanpakuto feel that way. But only I have the powers to materialize in Soul Society, and walk around as though I were a spirit myself. I want to give the other zanpakuto a chance to take revenge on their wielders, just as I did on mine. Otherwise, it wouldn't really be fair, now would it?"

"Oh?" Gegetsuburi chuckled. "I'm sorry, but to me you don't look quite the type who cares about fairness."

Muramasa looked slightly amused. "Oh, yes? Well, pardon me for saying so, but you don't look quite the type who would be so reasonable. Interesting, is it not? That our appearances both give others the wrong idea?"

The chuckle faded from Gegetsuburi's throat, to be replaced by a growl. "You know, being a smartass about everything doesn't exactly help with trying to convince me to join you."

"I apologize for that, but I do find it helpful to be completely honest. And that is what I am. Although if it does get in the way of you making your decision, I humbly ask you to forget what I said."

Gegetsuburi let out an unimpressed snort. He should deny the offer- it _would_ serve the guy right- but… he'd already made up his mind. "Yeah, whatever. I don't care. Look, I made a promise to myself about seventeen years ago that the first chance I got, I would get outta this place and make a break for it. Your offer is probably the closest I'm ever gonna get, so I'll take it."

Muramasa blinked, and then stated, "A promise to yourself seventeen years ago? If that is true, than why were you hesitating all this time?"

Gegetsuburi shrugged, and snarled, "Hell if I know. Can we just leave now, please? Unless you were pulling my leg this entire time."

"I can assure you, Gegetsuburi, I was not attempting to trick you. If you wish to leave now, than please take my hand. I can only transfer you out of here if we are in physical contact." Muramasa held out his hand, and waited patiently.

Gegetsuburi, who was still smarting over Muramasa commenting on his hesitation, grabbed it without hesitation, and the world around him changed. The rock he had been standing on began to lose form, and he stumbled. The water all melted away into a bright tunnel of light, and a horrible dizzying feeling came over him. He groaned and shut his eyes tightly, hoping fiercely that it would be over soon and that he wouldn't throw up. Finally, the swirling underneath his feet stopped, and the dizziness slowly went away. Gegetsuburi waited, and then blinked open his eyes uncertainly. They were standing in a small, dark cave, but some ways to the right there was a staircase leading downwards.

"Go down. The other zanpakuto are there." Muramasa said.

"Yeah?" Gegetsuburi approached it and peered down, but the bottom of the staircases veered left, so he couldn't see any zanpakuto. "And where are you gonna be?"

"I have to pay a visit to the fire-breathing one, Tenken." Muramasa replied simply, before a popping noise suddenly was heard.

Gegetsuburi glanced warily over his shoulder, and found that Muramasa seemed to have left. Grumbling quietly to himself, he shrugged it off and stomped down the stairs, half excited and half dreadful for the meeting of the other zanpakuto. When he finally reached the bottom, he saw that all the others, which was quite a lot, were all in one big circle, although they were all staring at him. He looked over them, seeing if there were any he could recognize in a flash. Deciding that there were none he could very much decipher, he decided to begin his introduction. "Hi. I'm Gegetsuburi."

There was silence, and then a pink-haired boy who seemed to have a chain attached to the collar of his shirt approached him. The boy looked up at him with an unimpressed expression, and said bluntly, "You're fat."

Gegetsuburi resisted the urge to strangle him. "No, I'm not. This is just the way I was created. Back in my old world, I actually barely ate anything in a year."

"Really?" A glowing fairy zipped up to him. "Well then why aren't you as thin as Wabisuke?"

"He's thin because he was created that way. Simple as that."

"But all the rumors say that all you do is lie around and eat the whole time." This time, two silver-haired boys looking completely identical to one another popped up in front of him.

"The rumors are wrong."

"But-."

"Come on, guys, I'm sure that Gegetsuburi doesn't just want to stand around all day and get badgered by you guys." A man carrying a box on his back and holding a long pike walked up to them, speaking in an affectionate way. "Go back to the circle, and wait until you can introduce yourselves to him."

"Aw, but Gonryomaru…" One silver-haired boy began.

"We still have so many questions," The other one finished. "Like, why is he so fat?"

"I'm not fat." Gegetsuburi growled.

"Yeah you are." The pink-haired boy said.

"I told you, it's just how I was created."

"Your ass is bigger than Chimpette's, so you're fat."

"Snakey, get the hell back here!" A lady with green fur all over her body tugged the chain harshly.

Snakey shot a glare back at her, but still obliged. After a gentle nudge from Gonryomaru, the two boys left as well, and then the fairy. Gonryomaru turned to Gegetsuburi with a sheepish smile, and said, "Sorry about that. You know how kids are. So I'm Gonryomaru, and welcome to the club."

"Hello." Gegetsuburi replied, deciding that Gonryomaru wasn't all that bad. It was just those kids who were annoying. He wasn't fat!

"You wanna meet the others?" Gonryomaru offered. "Right over there, that green-haired guy? That's Hyorinmaru, but he doesn't talk much. Neither does Senbonzakura, that samurai sitting next to him. And that lady there is Sode no Shirayuki."

As Gonryomaru went on, and Gegetsuburi greeted each of them with an awkward nod, Gegetsuburi began to get the feeling that this place might not be so horrible. Everyone certainly seemed cheerful, and he might even be able to knock some sense into those pestering kids. So long as he got food to eat, he might actually be happy here.

* * *

**I am so sorry for not updating sooner. It's just that school started, and already they're piling so much homework on us. Plus, Gegetsuburi was hard to do, considering I haven't watched episode 237 yet. And just to let you know, it might take a while for me to update from now on, but I'll still try my hardest.**


	17. Tenken

_Chapter 17: Tenken_

He and his wielder had a lot in common. They were both large, and they were both strong. They both had unusual appearances, and they were both shy about them. They both had the power to destroy everything in their path with a single blow, and they were both as gentle as a Fourth Division healer. They were both fiercely loyal towards any friends they had, and truthfully, neither of them smiled much. The two had so much in common, it was almost scary, and that was why it was only fitting that Tenken was his zanpakuto.

But, in all honesty, Tenken didn't very much appreciate his wielder. He didn't appreciate how Sajin constantly scolded him on not willing to show his true appearance whenever the large Shinigami visited, and he didn't appreciate how, for nearly his entire life, the captain had worn some sort of covering to hide his fox head.

_Speak for yourself._ The red-skinned zanpakuto thought with a snort.

Tenken didn't appreciate how Sajin was ashamed of his own zanpakuto's fire abilities. Of course Komamura knew about them, but he refused to use them. Why was that? Tenken shook his head in disgust. As if he didn't know. Komamura firmly believed that only one Shinigami could be worthy of having fire powers, and that was the Head-Captain Yamamoto. Tenken could, of course, point out the many flaws in that sentence. First of all, it wasn't Yamamoto who had the ability to wield flames in the first place. It was his zanpakuto, Ryujin Jakka. Secondly, his own wielder had more or less insulted himself by calling him unworthy to have a zanpakuto with the element of fire. And thirdly, didn't Sajin know how much stronger he could be if he embraced the power of fire? Rather than just empty samurai armor for a Bankai, he could have it breathe out flames, and with its sword he could burn the opponent to a crisp with a single slash. After all, how many times had Sajin been defeated in battle?

_Too many to count. He's just too trusting._ Tenken reflected.

He remembered how eager Sajin had been to call that blind man his friend. He had believed that so long as one didn't make fun of his true appearance, than that someone was immediately a saint. He had sworn loyalty to the only two who initially hadn't taunted him, and just look where it had gotten him. That treacherous blind traitor had betrayed Soul Society! Tenken stiffened and growled at the memory. Suzumushi had been a wise zanpakuto; why had he not tried to stop his master? Why had he continued serving for that man, Kaname Tosen? Tenken disliked many of the things Komamura did to him, but he could not accept a man once considered a treasured friend turning on his wielder and almost resulting in his death. Although, Tenken did have to admit, there had been one good thing that had come out of it. Because of that betrayal, Sajin was no longer afraid to show his true face. Ever since Kenpachi Zaraki had shattered his mask, Komamura had had no trouble revealing his feral looks. Now, he was cheerful when he talked to others, even if he didn't smile. The other Shinigami would ask if he was troubled by Tosen's leave, and he would shake it off and promise that the next time he encountered that traitor, he would rip him to shreds. That answer satisfied the questioners, and, of course, that was exactly why he said it.

Tenken lived within him. He could tell what his wielder was feeling, what his wielder was experiencing, and even what his wielder was thinking. And it was by all that that he knew that Komamura was still feeling deep grief in Tosen's betrayal. Tenken knew about his wielder's sadness because lately, every day in his world had been a dull day. The black volcanoes erupted every time Sajin felt a flash of anger, and then the hard burnt ground would soften a little whenever remorse came. Tenken knew that Sajin was feeling miserable, and guilty that he possibly could've done something but hadn't. Tenken knew it was probably his job as a zanpakuto to reassure his wielder, and encourage him. But Sajin had never helped him. And so, despite the slight pricks of guilt that Tenken felt at least once every five years, Tenken ignored his wielder as his wielder ignored him. It was only right, after all.

A sudden explosion jolted Tenken out of his thoughts. He glanced around, fiery eyes blazing. One pesky volcano had been erupting many times lately, and here it was doing it again. Komamura was feeling angry, obviously. Lava burst out the top, accompanied by large black boulders. The rocks hit the ground with such an impact, they formed craters in the ground, some as deep as Tenken was tall. To a normal person, this all would have been very frightening, of course, and that person might even get a heart attack. But this was all very normal to Tenken, and that was why he was feeling ticked as he raced to calm down the volcano.

He disliked it whenever Komamura was feeling angry. Not because he cared, of course, but because the constant eruptions were ruining his world. Tenken growled under his breath about how _thoughtful_ his wielder was, and then lashed out his whip at the volcano. The whip caught ablaze, and smacked the side of the large mountain. Normally, a whip would do next to nothing against a volcano, but this was Tenken's whip. And Tenken's whip was certainly nothing near normal. After a few more whacks, the volcano had calmed down, and the rumbling stopped.

Tenken withdrew his whip with a sound that seemed a cross between a grumble and a sigh. That single volcano had been going off every day, and every day Tenken had needed to calm it down. It was all very tiring work, considering how he had to channel some of his power into his whip _every single day_. He barely got enough time to regain that power before he had to use some more of it. Each volcano symbolized a different one of Komamura's feelings, and each one erupted whenever he was feeling it. If it was a mild feeling, it would only smoke a little. If it was extreme, it blew up entirely. And that one particular volcano was Regret. Tenken hadn't even known it was possible to feel so much regret so many times. With Sajin Komamura as your wielder, you learn something nearly every day.

Tenken crossed his arms and studied the volcano carefully to make sure it wouldn't suddenly blow up again. Satisfied, he nodded and turned around, walking back to the small circle of dirt that he liked to sit upon and think. That small circle was the only part of his world that wasn't black, and he liked to keep it that way.

As he was walking, however, a voice behind him suddenly sounded. "Your whip intrigues me. How do you use it?"

Tenken narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Who could this be? It certainly didn't sound like Sajin, and he was the only other person who could access this world. He turned around, hand placed cautiously on the handle of his whip.

A man about half his size stared coolly into his burning eyes, the calm look almost relaxing Tenken. If nothing else, the man looked at peace, hands casually in his pockets and face emotionless and blank. A dirty fur collar was placed around the man's neck, a part of his strange, long jacket. The man's hair was certainly a mess, dusty and unkempt, but he took no notice of it. The man only continued to stare at Tenken, and Tenken stared back.

After a few more moments, the man spoke again. "A single rope such as that was enough to stop a volcano from its eruption. How does such a thing work?"

This man had intruded Komamura's inner world, and gone past where the boundaries should have been the strongest. He could very well destroy Sajin from the inside. But all he wanted to know was how Tenken's whip controlled volcanoes. It was behavior such as this that made Tenken suspicious, but he at least figured there was no harm in answering.

"My power is channeled through this whip," Tenken replied in his low, growly voice. "It is sheer strength that allows me to take control of this world. My reiatsu is strong enough to pressure volcanoes, or subdue them, and I control it through this 'single rope'. Is that understandable?"

"Perfectly," The man said calmly. "I understand that your whip is somewhat like a restrainer, preventing you from blowing this place up with simply your reiatsu. A bit like Zaraki's eye patch, yes?"

"That is the general idea."

The man nodded slowly. "Interesting. You are clearly a very strong zanpakuto. You would make a worthy addition to my army."

Tenken tensed, his fingers gripping his whip. "Army?"

"Yes, you heard me correctly. I am Muramasa, also a zanpakuto, and I am building an army. An army of zanpakuto, to be precise. Before I continue, however, allow me to ask you one simple question. Have you ever felt any sort of annoyance towards your wielder?"

Tenken grumbled, allowing his arm to relax. If this man just wanted to talk, than perhaps he posed no real threat. "I have."

"As every zanpakuto has," Muramasa sighed. "I feel that the Shinigami have ruled over us for too long. They neglect us, and mistreat us, and do all sorts of things simply because we are only weapons to them. We now have a chance to fight back, though. I can take out a zanpakuto from its world, and materialize them into Soul Society. We can take out solid forms, and provide real damage. We can take our revenge on the Shinigami, and we can be the rulers."

Tenken raised an eyebrow. This offer certainly sounded interesting, but fishy at the same time. It sounded like the kind of thing that seemed impossible to beat, but at the end it all came crumbling apart. And that was what he told Muramasa.

Muramasa looked at Tenken, something close to amusement glittering in his eyes. "Why is it, I wonder, that every zanpakuto I have asked, almost all of them refuse at first? It really does become tiring, having to convince them over and over again."

"I never said I refused," Tenken pointed out. "I just said that the entire thing was unlikely to really happen."

"Tell me, Tenken. What is it about your wielder that you hate? In all honesty, he does seem like a strong, loyal Shinigami."

Tenken grunted questioningly- the question had been rather sudden- but replied anyways. "Sajin is too judgmental. He scolds others on what they are doing wrong, while he does it himself. As far as he's concerned, anyone who doesn't treat him unkindly at first appearance of him is a godsend, and refuses to believe anything else. As his zanpakuto, I can tell that he still thinks he can save that blind traitor. He doesn't believe that Tosen has really gone against us. Anyone who can be that oblivious is stupid, and I am almost ashamed to call him my wielder."

"It sounds as though you've rehearsed this. Perhaps you were waiting for a chance like this to happen?"

"It's doubtful."

"Your reasons are strong, Tenken. In fact, they're almost admirable. They are true reasons. And if you have so many of them, why are you refusing my offer? Wouldn't you want to take revenge on a Shinigami so stupid?"

"Again, I never said I refused-."

"But at the same time," Muramasa interrupted. "You never said you accepted."

Tenken peered down at the man. Muramasa was so much smaller than him, but also spoke with so much authority. He had to admit, he was beginning to feel a strange sort of respect for this stranger. "So say I did accept. What would happen?"

"I would simply take you back to where all the other zanpakuto are, and then go off to fetch someone else. In fact, you're my second-to-last stop, so you wouldn't have to wait as long as say, Haineko. I went to her in the beginning."

"And once I was done waiting?"

"Then," Muramasa looked almost like he was smiling slightly. "We attack, of course."

An interesting deal. Go back to the hideout, meet other zanpakuto, and then almost immediately after, go off and attack and get revenge. He could knock some sense into that furry-headed wielder of his, and then maybe even rule over him. Tenken had to admit, he did like that idea. And that was why he said, "Right then. When can we leave?"

Muramasa looked satisfied. "Right now, of course."

He stretched out his arm, and gently prodded Tenken with one long fingernail. Tenken refrained from snarling, although he really didn't like it. When, quite suddenly, the black around him became a gray blur. His sound and sight became fuzzy, and in the distance he thought he could hear an explosion. That stupid volcano, Regret, again. A brief feeling of amusement came over him, only to be washed over by surprise as he and Muramasa traveled down a long corridor of bright white light. And then, just as suddenly, he was in the dark again.

"Down the stairs," Muramasa's voice instructed. "I'm sorry, but I am running far behind schedule, so I'll have to leave right away."

There was a popping noise, and then finally, all was silent. Tenken hesitated. He could see the staircase right there, and he wondered briefly why he didn't just go down and meet all the others. Maybe he was afraid of what their reaction to his appearance would be.

_Don't be like your wielder. Just go down the stairs._ He told himself.

So he straightened his back, lifted his head, and strode calmly down the stairs. Once he'd reached the bottom, he pivoted and glanced around the room, looking to see which other zanpakuto were there.

Much more then he'd anticipated, certainly. There had to be at least fifteen. His eyes widened briefly in surprise, but he quickly shook it off. He cleared his throat with a few coughs, and stated, "Greetings. I am Tenken, zanpakuto of the captain of the seventh division, Sajin Komamura. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

It was a large light brown ogre, about his size, who first approached him. "Yo. You seem pretty big."

"The same could be said for you," Tenken replied calmly.

The ogre grinned. "I'm Hozukimaru. And this here is Ruri'iro Kujaku."

For the first time, Tenken noticed the small, feathered man standing a little behind Hozukimaru. The man nodded a hello, to which Tenken nodded back.

"Fatso over there is Gegetsuburi, but don't call him fat or he'll get insulted." Hozukimaru jerked a thumb over to where a ridiculously fat man was taking a snooze. "Kids over there are Sogyo no Kotowari and Snakey. Next to Snakey is Chimpette, and those two form Zabimaru. That lady there is Katen Kyokotsu, n' next to her is Senbonzakura."

Hozukimaru continued the brief introductions in his gravelly voice, and Tenken said a hello to each and every one of them. To think! He'd been afraid of the others rejecting his appearance, when in total truth, almost all of them looked like freaks. That statement was perhaps a bit unkind, but certainly true.

Tenken recited everybody's names in his head, and cautiously said them to make sure he'd gotten everybody. The other zanpakuto were friendly, if not totally aloof. But at least this place was homey. Way better than his previous home, at least.

_And much more of a family than Sajin ever was to me._ Tenken decided. _Even if they are a little spread out._


	18. Minazuki

_Chapter 18: Minazuki_

She took a long look at the man in front of her. He had no business to be intruding in her world. He had simply barged in without so much as a warning, and appeared quite suddenly in front of her. She was normally not the type of zanpakuto to be surprised, but she had always assumed that her world would be a safe haven from the others. She had been journeying up the rocky mountain when he came out of no where directly before her, blocking her path, and began rattling off about some sort of nonsense. She hadn't the faintest idea what he was talking about; it wasn't as though she were actually listening. All she wanted was to get up the mountain and collect the delicious berries and drink the fresh water that was on top of it.

The man continued to talk, and she continued to think of how she could possibly get by him without using her powers. She usually wasn't a violent zanpakuto, but if it was absolutely necessary she would hurt anyone in her way. And currently, this strange man was in her way. She kept her head bowed down so that he wouldn't see her face hidden in the shadows of her light green cloak, but she could still see him. This man was tall, dirty, and downright annoying. His face was streaked with soot, and his hair matted with dust. His eyes were droopy, a sure sign that he was tired, and his voice had a drawling tone to it. The man was exhausted, and that would make it that much easier to get by him.

He kept on rambling on, something about zanpakuto and Shinigami, and Minazuki finally lost her patience. She moved her head up slightly, knowing full well that she was about to interrupt the man and he was probably the sort who had never been interrupted. She looked at the man, keeping her face hidden in the shadows, but her single golden eye gleamed.

_Stand aside._

The man looked stunned, and his whole body stiffened. Trembling slightly, he inched to the side, making the path clear again. She bowed her head down and continued on her way. That had been easy enough- men had no willpower.

Quite suddenly, the man's voice sounded again, this time sharper and clearer. "Wait. Have you considered my offer?"

He had been making an offer? Well, how was she supposed to know if she wasn't listening? She ignored him and continued walking. She was almost at the top, anyways. Perhaps once she'd taken her fill of fruit and water she would listen.

A pop sounded behind her, and all of a sudden the man appeared before her again. She stopped, a sense of anger and irritation bubbling up inside her, along with interest. Did this man have psychic powers like her? She waited for him to speak again, and sure enough, he did.

Minazuki was patient. Or, at the least, she was a good actor. She could build many layers around herself, pretending to be patient and calm, and most of the time she really was. But currently, she was as impatient as ever. In any other time she might have been willing to sit down and listen carefully, but right now she was hungry and thirsty. But she still pretended to be patient and listened to his words- after all, it was clear that he had come with the expectation that she would provide his speaking as the most important above anything else.

He said that his name was Muramasa, and admitted that he was somewhat annoyed about how he would have to repeat everything he had just said to her. Minazuki could have told him that the feeling was mutual, but decided against it. Perhaps if she just didn't say anything and let him speak, he would eventually finish and leave.

Muramasa spoke about neglect towards the zanpakuto from the Shinigami, and of how most zanpakuto were sick of it. He spoke of a fighting team he was building, an army. He told her that nearly all the zanpakuto had already joined him, and that she was the last. She was, after all, one of the strongest zanpakuto around, even if she was mainly used for healing. He offered her a position in his army, a high rank, an elite fighter. She, along with the dual zanpakuto Katen Kyokotsu and Sogyo no Kotowari, would be assigned only the most important of missions. And if they had any free time, they could go ahead and wreak havoc among Soul Society, so long as he permitted it.

It was interesting to hear, and would certainly make an excellent story, but Minazuki, in all honesty, couldn't care less. She had nothing against her wielder, and technically couldn't even speak, so she wouldn't be able to communicate very well with the other zanpakuto. Yes, she could speak telepathically, but only unbelievably strong zanpakuto would be able to hear her voice in their minds, so most of the other zanpakuto wouldn't even be able to understand her. And so, with quick thinking and hope that it would get him away, she responded.

_What of the strongest zanpakuto of all? Ryujin Jakka?_

Muramasa looked somewhat surprised, his expression causing Minazuki to smile a little. "Ryujin Jakka," he said carefully. "Is no doubt a powerful zanpakuto. And it is because of that that I will wait until the Shinigami are in the utmost terror before I speak to him."

Minazuki studied him, easily piercing through his lie. Why not just go to flame zanpakuto now and tell him to wait? Muramasa was scared of Ryujin Jakka, and that was why he didn't want to go to him. She sighed quietly. Of course, every zanpakuto was scared of the mighty weapon of the Captain-Commander. At one glance, Ryujin Jakka could kill one hundred men, burning them to ashes and even flaming those until they dissolved into nothing. Every smart zanpakuto would stay well out of his way, but all the same they respected him. Muramasa, though acting as though nothing in the world could surpass him, knew that. As far as Minazuki could see, he was probably never going to go to the flame zanpakuto for help.

"I can see you are skeptical," Muramasa had reclaimed his calm demeanor, and was now talking in that almighty voice of his again. "But I promise you, I will eventually speak to Ryujin Jakka. So long as I'm not busy, of course."

Minazuki could have laughed, but she didn't. For one thing, she really physically couldn't. For another, she hadn't laughed in a long time, and was not willing to do it in front of a stranger who talked too much for his own good.

"One zanpakuto alone certainly couldn't face the Ruler of Flames," Muramasa insisted, clearly trying to prove that he wasn't simply bluffing. "But perhaps three of the strongest might."

Here, Minazuki paused. So that was why he wanted to recruit her. He just wanted to use her, along with the dual zanpakuto, to convince the strongest zanpakuto of all. Because this Muramasa was just too big of a coward.

Muramasa must have noticed her instant suspicion, because he quickly said, "You're changing the subject. Now, if you wouldn't mind, kindly answer my question. Would you, or would you not, like to join the other zanpakuto and I on our quest to take revenge?"

A quest? He made it sound like a long and dangerous journey, when in reality all they had to do would show up and the Shinigami would probably be scared out of their wits. Yes, although Minazuki did have respect for her wielder, she believed that most Shinigami were as big of cowards as Muramasa. Without their zanpakuto, the Shinigami were nothing. Kido and hand-to-hand combat were nothing compared to the powers within their very souls, and that was why Minazuki could easily predict the outcome of this.

Retsu Unohana was generally a kind woman, and very caring, although it was known throughout the entire Soul Society that deep inside her was an inner demon. Rumor had it that she could even shake Yamamoto, at least a little. Her very words carried out much authority, causing even Eleventh squad members to tremble at the sound and slink back into their beds. A gleam in her eye could make anyone do anything, and that was where Minazuki had learned her single-eye hypnosis trick. She was, after all, the mirror image of Unohana's soul. It was because of those things that Minazuki respected the Fourth squad captain, but at the same time it allowed the zanpakuto to see the cowardly forms of the other Shinigami, frightened out of their wits by a single woman's order. That was how Minazuki knew that the Shinigami stood no chance.

So why should she participate? She already knew that Muramasa's army was going to win. She had no part in this, and for the time being, all she wanted were the berries on top of the mountain. And that was what she told him.

Muramasa raised an eyebrow with a somewhat confused expression. "You want… berries?"

_They are at the top of the mountain._

"But… I am offering you the chance of a lifetime. You may never get another opportunity to escape and take revenge. Pardon me for sounding so flustered, but after receiving such an offer, such a proposition, all you're worried about is _berries_?"

He had been speaking quickly, his voice filled with pure disbelief. It could be assumed that he had already been to many zanpakuto previously, and that was perhaps why he was being so impatient. Being the caring zanpakuto she was, she probably should have felt at least a twinge of sympathy, but she was hungry, and while she was hungry she didn't give a damn about what he was talking about.

Muramasa's voice had sounded shocked, but right now his face looked nothing less than extremely agitated. Minazuki simply stood there, waiting to see what he would say next. Finally, Muramasa let out a growl- something that sounded very unlike him- and disappeared with a pop. Only a few moments later, he reappeared again with a handful of bright red berries.

"Here," He said, obviously trying to keep his voice under control. "Your berries."

While Muramasa felt annoyance, Minazuki found herself filled with amusement. This man was willing to do anything just to get her to listen to him and join his army. Well, she did have her berries now, so she might as well think the offer over.

"Now will you come?" Muramasa demanded as the healing zanpakuto quietly munched on her snack.

_It's possible._

Muramasa let out a roar of aggravation. "I don't have time for this! I have been to seventeen zanpakuto before you, and nearly all of them refused in the first place. I have had to wrap lies around truths, I have had to bribe, I had to do everything to convince them. And with you, I had to repeat my offer _twice_, and then you start wasting my time with Ryujin Jakka. Then you tell me to go off and get berries as if I'm some sort of servant, and now-."

_I never told you to get them. _

"And _now_… you're only telling me that it's possible you'll join?" Muramasa glared fiercely at her. "I am losing my patience, Minazuki. Do you know how tiring it is to have to push through every Shinigami's barrier and into their inner world? Normally, it would have to give a zanpakuto hours of rest. But I did it eighteen times all in a row. I haven't had any rest, I haven't had any food or drink, and I have come to realize that all you zanpakuto are so terribly spoiled."

Spoiled? Minazuki suspected that he was beginning to lose his mind. Did Wabisuke, living in a prison, look spoiled? Did Katen Kyokotsu, forced to stay at a lonely casino, look spoiled? Did Gegetsuburi, trapped on little more than a rock, look spoiled? None of the zanpakuto were spoiled at all. Minazuki hadn't the faintest idea on what this man was talking about.

Muramasa was breathing heavily, a hand pressed to his face. After a few moments, he withdrew his hand and said, in a calm voice, "I'm sorry. Please excuse me for my outburst. None of the zanpakuto are spoiled, of course. I had no right to say that. But I will not deny the fact that I am exhausted on having travelled to eighteen different places, and I was overjoyed when I remembered that you were last on my list."

He didn't look the type who could be overjoyed, Minazuki figured. Perhaps he celebrated on the inside.

"But please, Minazuki. You are a strong and worthy zanpakuto, and a psychic one above that. I am almost positive all the zanpakuto would treat you with the appropriate respect. Would you please join my army?"

Now it sounded like he was begging. He must really be desperate. However, that didn't stop Minazuki from thinking over it. It was true that Muramasa had given her next to no reason to turn against her wielder, but then again, it did sound like it might be fun. She had nothing better to do, after all. All she did everyday was go up the mountain for berries and water, and then go down again. Of course, there would probably be consequences, but at least she would get to meet other zanpakuto.

_Fine._

Muramasa looked at her in surprise, as if he hadn't expected her to agree so quickly. "What? You… you agree?"

In the darkness provided by her cloak, Minazuki rolled her eye. How oblivious could this guy get?

He straightened, a light tone suddenly in his voice. "Excellent. Now then, allow me to take you to where all the others are. They've all been waiting for quite a while, and they'll be quite excited to see us. Our arrival will mean the beginning of what they've all joined for- the defeat of the Shinigami."

Minazuki just shrugged. He had more or less repeated everything he had just said, and she wasn't very much impressed by it. Muramasa sighed quietly and then extended his arm, clearly expecting her to shake his hand. So Minazuki raised a bandaged hand and gently touched it.

As soon as their hands made contact, the mountain they'd been standing on began to rumble, and then it fell apart beneath their very feet. Minazuki was surprised, but she didn't lose her footing. Psychic powers can let you levitate. The gray and brown around her melted into an unbelievably bright light, and she felt herself moving forward at an incredible speed. She was still aware of Muramasa beside her, of course, but he didn't give any indication that this was normal or anything.

Finally, they arrived in a dark cave, and Minazuki realized that she was still hovering. She landed noiselessly, and began towards the staircase that was leading down. Judging by the footsteps behind her, Muramasa was following her. All the other zanpakuto were probably down there. Minazuki quietly made her way down the stairs, and turned to see all the zanpakuto in deep conversation with each other. Their low murmuring buzzed around the cave, until Muramasa stood beside Minazuki and said in a loud voice.

"Hello, everyone. I'm pleased to see that you are all getting along with each other so well."

At the sound of his voice, all the zanpakuto turned around with wide eyes. For a few moments, their gaze would rest on Muramasa, and then switch to Minazuki, and then back to Muramasa. It seemed to take a while for it to really sink in. Finally, a small girl wearing white and pink clothes with two large bells stepped forward.

"Muramasa," She said quietly. "You have brought the last zanpakuto?"

"Yes. This is Minazuki, and the last addition to our army." Muramasa confirmed.

A look of shock came across the girl's face, and then a woman that seemed part cat stepped up. "Wait, so this means the army's complete? We can actually go and attack the Shinigami now? After all that waiting?"

"All that waiting was about two days, Haineko." Muramasa sounded amused.

Haineko, looking somewhat embarrassed, ducked her head. "Felt longer, though."

"Yes, I suppose it did feel rather long." Muramasa raised his voice once more. "I will give you all a day to discuss what you will do, and how you will do it, but the day after tomorrow we are all going to attack together. We will gather the Shinigami in one place where they cannot escape, and then confront them. After that, you are free to do whatever you wish. Is that understood?"

A loud cackle sounded from the crowd, coming for a black demon. "Understood, Muramasa! We can do whatever we want, whenever we want, and to whoever we want. And it'll all be destruction for the Shinigami!"

"Exactly." Muramasa agreed. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I am feeling rather tired. I am going to go rest, so kindly keep the noise level down."

A samurai with a disturbing mask on his face nodded firmly. "Of course, Muramasa."

"Right then. And remember to welcome Minazuki, will you?" And with that note, Muramasa retreated back up the stairs, and not another sound was heard from him.

As soon as he'd disappeared back into the darkness, Minazuki stepped down from the stairs and calmly began walking towards a particularly dry wall that she'd been eyeing for a few moments. It looked like a good place to take a nap, and she did feel a bit sleepy.

"Hey, hey, where're you going?" Two boys ran in front of her, arms waving frantically. They looked exactly identical, possibly one of the two dual zanpakuto. "You didn't say hi to everyone yet. Let us start! We're Sogyo no Kotowari, but you can call us Sogy-chan and Koto-chan."

"He's Sogy-chan," The one on the left pointed to his brother.

"And he's Koto-chan," The other one did likewise.

Minazuki watched them for a few moments, and then greeted them. _Hi._

The two looked stunned, clearly meaning that they had heard her. And then, quite suddenly, grins broke out onto their faces and they began laughing delightfully. "Wow, that was so cool! Do it again, do it again! How do you do it? Can you teach us?"

_It's just how I am. I can't speak properly with my mouth, so I use telepathy. I can do it because I'm a psychic zanpakuto, but I don't think I can teach you guys._

For a moment, they looked slightly disappointed, but then the grins came back on and they rushed over to a tall lady dressed in purple and wearing an eyepatch. "Katen-chan! Did you hear her? Did you? It was so cool! It just comes into your mind, but you don't hear it with your ears. She said it was telepathy, isn't that awesome?"

"It's the same with how Ashisogi Jizo can't talk at all. It shouldn't really be anything out of the ordinary." The woman, probably Katen Kyokotsu, replied. She then turned to Minazuki. "No offence intended, though. I'm Katen Kyokotsu, nice to meet you."

_To you as well._

She'd finally met the dual zanpakuto. Muramasa had told her that they'd be her partners later on, hadn't he? She might as well get to know them better. But she still had to meet the other zanpakuto, too. Minazuki sighed inwardly. Looks like her nap would have to wait.

_Hi. I'm Minazuki, zanpakuto of the Fourth squad captain, Retsu Unohana. _


	19. Muramasa

_Chapter 19: Muramasa_

_The young man breathed heavily, panting and gulping for air. One arm clutched the other as blood stained his black Shinigami robes, and he gritted his teeth to stop from passing out at the pain. The Hollow before him roared, clearly expecting an easy victory. Despite himself, the boy had to smile. He hadn't even released his zanpakuto, and the Hollow believed it could defeat him that easily. He chuckled softly, and then stopped and winced, his uninjured arm instinctively going to his heavily bleeding leg. _

_He clutched at the wet pants leg, wondering on what he should do next. His wounds were deep and serious, and he was beginning to get dizzy. But he knew his wouldn't die here- his zanpakuto was undefeatable. Even the Head-Captain had been in awe by it. He was surprised that Yamamoto hadn't made him a lieutenant, or maybe even a captain because of his powers. No, instead he was a fourth seat, under the captain he despised the most. Kenpachi Zaraki, bloodthirsty maniac of the Eleventh division. The boy had practically gaped when he learned of his assigned squad; surely with a zanpakuto like his he couldn't go there. Zaraki had initially protested as well, saying that the boy was too scrawny and probably too weak. But Yamamoto stood firm to his decision, and then dismissed the meeting._

_"My powers are the greatest! Even you said so yourself that you'd never seen anything like it. My Shikai can defeat anything, and who knows what I'll be able to do when I achieve Bankai?"_

_"Perhaps, but you are still young. Fresh out of the academy. For the moment I can only grant you a fourth seat in Captain Zaraki's squad."_

_"But why him? And why only a fourth seat? My powers should grant me at least a lieutenant's ranking."_

_"That is enough. If there is one thing I hate the most in this world, it is a young child's boasting. Arrogance will lead to your demise, and if you continue acting like this then your end will come sooner than you think."_

_The boy narrowed his eyes as he recalled the Head-Captain's words. He wasn't going to die anytime soon. He would live, because he was unbeatable. His zanpakuto would defend him, as it was made to do, and one day he himself would become the Head-Captain._

_The Hollow screeched again, and then began to charge at him, claws ready and mouth hanging open as it charged up a cero. But this time, the boy had no patience. He released his leg and his hand flew to his sword's hilt, a dangerous gleam appearing in his eye._

"_You're in my way," He growled as he quickly drew his zanpakuto. The sharp blade glinted, delaying the Hollow for a split second. But he still grinned when he noticed the slight pause the large creature had made. "Scared, are you? Unsure? Well you should be! Tremble in my power, for this is the power that will end you."_

_He raised his sword to the sky, tip pointing to the heavens above. "Release, Muramasa!"_

_The sword's blade flashed, and an odd-sounding pop filled the air. The Hollow paused, wondering what was about to happen. After a few moments, nothing did. It sneered, laughing at the boy, and then proceeded to charge again when, quite suddenly and out of nowhere, it exploded. Just like that. Killed from the inside, and blown to bits._

_The boy smirked. "You never know what's coming 'till it happens." He gazed at his sword in obvious pleasure, inspecting it to make sure no dents or anything was on it. "Nice work, Muramasa. We make a great team, don't we?"_

_And then, just as sudden as when the Hollow had exploded, a man appeared in front of him. The boy stared at him in surprise, wondering where he had come form, when he realized that his sword was no longer in his hand. It was instead pierced through his heart, held by the man in front of him._

_His eyes widened. That was impossible. Who was this man? How dare this stranger kill him? He had had big dreams, and then this man comes out of nowhere and ruins them? The figure of the expressionless man was beginning to get blurry, and spots of darkness were appearing in his vision. He attempted to back away, but his injured leg buckled, and he half fell, bring the sword higher and allowing it to come out of his shoulder._

"_For the record, Kansuke Hiro," The man spoke in a deep, rich voice. "We were never a team. And you were never my wielder."_

_Kansuke tried to say something, but no sound came out of his mouth. Finally, he fell backwards and didn't say a word. Muramasa stared at him, and then sheathed his sword and walked away without giving his previous wielder a second glance._

"_They were my powers, after all. I'm the one who's undefeatable."_

Muramasa blinked awake, eyes wide at the memory. It was such terrible irony that his old nightmare of a flashback had come to him on the night he was planning to attack the Shinigami. He lay there, staring at the ceiling above him, when he finally forced himself to sit up. Once he had, he sighed heavily. The look of horror and shock in Kansuke's eyes when he realized his own zanpakuto had betrayed him was fresh in his memory. Of course, Muramasa didn't regret killing the boy. He simply felt a little pity now and then.

Kansuke had had big dreams for one so young, and that had been one of the few traits of his that Muramasa had initially liked. But eventually, the boy had become arrogant and proud, claiming Muramasa's powers his own and insisting that he was at a captain's level and should be treated as such. Muramasa shook his head, willing himself to forget it. Kansuke's death had been many decades ago, and he doubted that the old man Yamamoto even remembered the boy's name.

The sounds of arguing caught Muramasa's attention, and he realized that the zanpakuto downstairs were fighting over something. He sighed again; arguing after he'd specifically told them to keep it down. Reluctantly, he stood up, brushed off the dirt and dust on his coat, and promptly walked down the stairs.

As he went down, the talk became louder, and as he looked out he saw that the zanpakuto were in many different groups and each group was arguing about something. Making out a few, Muramasa saw Kazeshini snarling at Hozukimaru, and brandishing his curved blades threateningly while Sode no Shirayuki and Tobiume tried to calm him down. Elsewhere, Katen Kyokotsu was insisting something towards Minazuki, while the twins bounced up and down trying to calm both of them. Haineko was waving her arms at the silent group of Hyorinmaru, Ashisogi Jizo, and Senbonzakura, while Suzumebachi flitted around the rest of the arguing zanpakuto. Muramasa groaned at the sight; even after three days they still couldn't get along with one another. He opened his mouth, ready to announce his presence and quiet them down, when another idea came to mind.

Why even bother, he decided. Even if he did manage to stop the arguing, they would all still be annoyed at each other. Let them talk it out, and maybe he would even be able to find out what they were arguing about in the first place. He could put up with the noise- it wasn't like he was going back to sleep anytime soon. And so, he settled down into a comfortable position, and watched.

* * *

"What the freaking hell do you mean we can't kill'em?" Kazeshini demanded. "Isn't that the whole point of this stupid army or whatever?"

"If I can recall correctly," Hozukimaru said firmly. "This army was made for the purpose of taking revenge on your wielder. The other Shinigami did nothing, and thus should not be dragged into this."

"But all Shinigami mistreat their zanpakuto. Just ask Muramasa, he knows!"

"Well, Kazeshini. It looks like you are now depending on Muramasa's facts for help. I thought you didn't like him."

"I don't! It's just that he makes a good point," Kazeshini spat. "All zanpakuto are neglected, so all Shinigami should be punished."

Hozukimaru smirked. "I never thought that you would be the justice type, Kazeshini."

The black demon narrowed his eyes furiously and growled out, "Don't you ever say that word in front of me, ya hear?! Don't ever confuse me with that blind asshole and his pathetic slug of a zanpakuto! I'm Kazeshini! I bring death to all who come near me, and I have no sense of justice _at all_. Is that understood?!"

Tobiume stepped up tentatively. "Please, calm down, Kazeshini. No one ever tried to confuse you with Tosen and Suzumushi-."

She stopped as Kazeshini's blade swiped just millimeters away from her face. Kazeshini brought back his weapon and slung it over his shoulder, hissing, "Don't ever say that name in front of me. That lazy fat insect has no right to be called a zanpakuto, and believe me, when the time comes, he'll get it! I'll murder him upon sight!"

"Are you angry with him because of how he and his wielder abandoned Hisagi?" Hozukimaru said. "And here I thought you loathed the lieutenant with all your heart."

"I do!" Kazeshini screeched, lashing out his weapon so that it just barely missed Hozukimaru's stomach. "I do hate him! As soon as I see him I'm going to kill that pathetic coward! Just you watch! I'll kill him, and I'll kill every other damn Shinigami that gets in my way."

The other three stared at him. He glared back, panting at his sudden outburst but not any less angry. "I… I meant every word I said."

Hozukimaru folded his arms against his chest, and Tobiume stepped back a little. It was Sode no Shirayuki who replied. The woman nodded slowly, with a small smile. "We know you did, Kazeshini. And we respect your fighting spirit. Just… calm down for now. We will attack, all in good time. And I promise that you can attack anyone you'd like. We all can."

Kazeshini watched her in obvious surprise, shocked at the peaceful voice she had held with him. His pointed ears flattened a little, and he ducked his head suspiciously. "Yeah… well… good. That's just what I wanted."

* * *

"My answer is the same," Katen Kyokotsu said in a stern voice. "I'm not putting them in that sort of danger."

_Muramasa told me-._

"I don't care what Muramasa told you! I'm not even sure about Muramasa's sanity, at the moment. I don't know what he's thinking, saying that Sogyo no Kotowari should come with us to face Ryujin Jakka. Does he even know who the Flame God is?"

_I'm quite sure he does. Muramasa might not be entirely sane, but he certainly has much wisdom. And he says that the power of all four of us will be enough._

"No." Katen Kyokotsu repeated. "Sogy-chan and Koto-chan are only kids, they can't-."

_They look like kids, and they act like kids, but don't forget that they are really as old as you and I. They are Jushiro Ukitake's zanpakuto, and even more so, they are dual zanpakuto. They have strength and power unimaginable to the common Shinigami. Don't underestimate them._

"I know they are! I know how powerful they are, and how ridiculously strong they are, and everything." Katen Kyokotsu snapped. "But do you think that will make it easer for me to see them do it? I know they can't literally be considered kids anymore, but looking and acting like one is good enough for me. Hell, as far as their concerned, they _are_ still kids."

_Okay, so they're kids. Just kids with enough power to blow up half of Sereitei, right?_

"Don't act smart with me, pal." Katen Kyokotsu stepped forward threateningly. "You just got here, don't think your words carry any authority."

_I just got here, but I'm just as strong as you. If you want to fight me, I guarantee you won't leave the battle arena without a few wounds._

"Is that a challenge?"

_It depends on how you look at it._

The two zanpakuto glared at each other, both of them growling furiously. Katen Kyokotsu didn't even waver at the sight of Minazuki's single glowing eye. The tall lady took another step forward, and this time Minazuki countered it with a step forward herself.

"HEY!"

The two were snapped out of their glares by the sudden yell, and glanced at the zanpakuto who had made it, surprised that a sound so loud could come from such small bodies. Sogyo no Kotowari stared defiantly at them, all hints of childishness gone from their faces, replaced by serious, stern expressions.

"We're not useless, you know. We can fight, too." Sogy-chan said.

"Yeah, we don't need any protection." His brother agreed.

"I mean, we appreciate it that you're just looking out for us, Katen-chan…"

"… But we really can look after ourselves. After all, we have each other, and…"

"… And as long as that stays that way, nothing can defeat us."

Katen Kyokotsu and Minazuki stared at them, glanced at each other, and then stared at them again. They seemed speechless at the maturity their voices had held. Finally, Katen Kyokotsu nodded. "All right then. I guess we'll see how this turns out."

* * *

"Aw, you guys have no imagination," Haineko complained. "Just appear and walk by. That's not cool at all."

"We're not trying to be cool." Senbonzakura replied. "We just want to get there."

"But you should _do_ something." Haineko insisted. "Say something to your wielder or maybe poke them."

"That is nothing more than a complete waste of time." Senbonzakura said. "Byakuya is a refined gentleman, and as such I should be a refined zanpakuto."

Haineko groaned and turned to Hyorinmaru. "What about you? Toshiro's just a kid, right? He should love it."

"Hitsugaya is a child, but a mature one at that. He would not appreciate me doing so, and I would not appreciate sacrificing my dignity." Hyorinmaru replied.

The hybrid's ears drooped, and she turned to the zanpakuto least likely to agree. "Ashisogi Jizo?"

Ashisogi Jizo only stared back at her, but its answer was clear.

Haineko stomped her paw. "You're all so _boring_. Why am I stuck with you guys?"

"You chose to be, remember?" Senbonzakura pointed out.

"Not helping."

* * *

"And then I could go Bankai, and make the whole place go BOOM!" Snakey leapt into the air as if to emphasize his point. He landed, waving his long tail proudly as he looked amongst the others to see if they approved of his idea.

"And while he 'makes the whole place go boom', we all get away and leave the Shinigami in utter confusion," Chimpette finished, explaining the idea.

"It's an interesting plan, and not a bad one," Ruri'iro Kujaku agreed. "I just think we should make it more stylish, like making the dust cloud rainbow colored."

Gegetsuburi snorted. "Right. Let's do that as soon as Omaeda gets promoted to Head-Captain."

Ruri'iro Kujaku glared at him. "Well you didn't have to be so rude about it. What, does anyone else have any better ideas for making the entire scene more beautiful? Anyone?"

"We're not trying to make it beautiful, Ruri'iro Kujaku," Wabisuke said quietly. "We're simply there to strike fear and confusion into the Shinigami."

"But Tenken gets a stylish entrance." Ruri'iro Kujaku complained.

"Don't whine, it ruins a grown man's figure," Suzumebachi tapped his bandaged head lightly as she flew by. Ruri'iro Kujaku grumbled and batted at her half-heartedly, before giving up and wrapping himself in his dark feathers.

"We don't have to be cool or fashionable or anything," Gonryomaru pointed out. "We just have to be there. Let's just go with Zabimaru's idea, and then next time we can make it look awesome. How's that idea?"

"Works for me, so long as it shuts him up." Tenken pointed at Ruri'iro Kujaku, who scoffed back at him and turned away.

All the other zanpakuto nodded their agreement, and Gonryomaru clapped his hands and stood up. "Okay then, we're settled."

* * *

Muramasa smiled slightly. Just as he'd predicted, all the others had solved their problems amongst themselves. Well, since they had, it was time to begin the attack. He straightened up and walked onto the actual floor, allowing every other zanpakuto to see him and pause in their chatter.

"I'm glad to see you are all working so well with each other. I trust you each have a plan in mind?" He said.

"We've got one," Hozukimaru grunted.

"Us too." Katen Kyokotsu alerted.

"And us." Senbonzakura nodded.

"We're good, too." Gonryomaru said.

"Very well, then. Tonight is the night, as I promised. Prepare yourselves, fellow zanpakuto. For this is the night we take revenge. This is the night we get back at the ones who dared called themselves our masters. This is the night we attack the Thirteen Court Guard Squads; the Shinigami." Muramasa raised his head, and closed his eyes, breathing out quietly as his army broke out into a loud cheer.

_Just you watch, Kansuke. I'll show you that zanpakuto are not merely tools. We're not as mindless as you think we are. Just watch._


End file.
